Phoenix
by Vivi-ntvg
Summary: Astrid had promised to stay away from Hiccup as much as she could. She never imagined that one small theft would cause her to clash with such a formidable enemy. And when Hiccup is convicted for something he didn't do, she must help him navigate the world of wanted criminals while trying to prove his innocence. Sequel to Burning.
1. Introductions

**A/N: Hi everyone! Happy belated holidays! This is my present for you :P**

 **First of all, I wanted to say I'm sorry for taking so ridiculously long to start this. Remember when I said, at the end of Burning, that this would be a complicated semester? Well, it was even worse than I expected. I had no life outside of college and choir rehearsals (but the latter were enjoyable, even if they did take up a lot of time), I sometimes didn't even have time to fool around online, much less get down to writing. Hell, I barely even had time to finish the _outline_. Admittedly, that was another thing that took way longer than I expected, since I had a lot of plot points and scenes I wanted to include, but had to string them together coherently.**

 **Anyway, even if it's been five months, at least now I have time, so the schedule should be the same that Burning had: no longer than two weeks for each update.**

 **Finally, if you're here and have never read Burning, yes, you do need to read it or you won't understand a thing xD**

 **Enjoy the (extremely late) sequel!**

* * *

The bag of fish was heavy in Einar's arms as he carried it towards the dragon stables. Several men offered to help him on the way, but he refused. He remembered Eret's advice on how he had managed to get so strong, and he'd said that lifting large things was a good exercise, so he made sure to follow it. If Hofferson heard, she would probably tell him something about how he didn't need to be a huge, bulking man to help. However, he wasn't trying to impress anyone; he only wanted to prove to himself that he could do it. And so he stubbornly pushed on, until at last he reached the wooden building. Breathing in relief as he put the bag down, he looked around. The stables were empty, which meant Heather and Eret had taken their dragons with them.

While he sorted the fish, he pondered when Hofferson was going to get back. She'd been gone for some time now, looking for something, or rather someone. From what he'd heard, one of the men hadn't returned from whatever mission they'd had. It was always reassuring to him, the fact that she cared enough to go searching herself. That she didn't consider the people who worked for her to be disposable. It was what had convinced him to join her in the end, even though at first he'd staunchly refused.

A sudden flurry of activity caught his attention when he went back outside. Looking up, he noticed the shape of a Deadly Nadder. They all waited with baited breath, some people around him preparing bows; the dragon circled above them three times before doing a backflip, and everyone relaxed at the signal that it was indeed Hofferson coming back. Most of the people dispersed and went back to their jobs, while Einar stood in place, waiting.

Stormfly landed and squawked in greeting at them. Hofferson jumped off her back, pulling her hood down.

"Morning, everyone", she said.

"Morning, Hofferson", said Gerd, the blacksmith. "Shall I take your axe for servicing?"

"Yes, please" she replied, handing him her weapon from Stormfly's saddle. "Thor knows it needs that." The man nodded and left. Hofferson turned towards Einar, who was struggling to keep Stormfly at bay. The Nadder had smelled the fish on his hands, no doubt, and was trying to find the source. Hofferson laughed.

"Stormfly, attacking Einar won't convince him to feed you. Lay off, girl." The dragon stepped back, chirping, and the woman smiled at him.

"Get her to the stables, would you? She's pretty hungry."

"I've noticed, ma'am." Hofferson grinned, but as she turned around to greet Heather, who was coming towards them, he could see her face turn sour. No luck in her search, then.

His suspicions were confirmed later, while he was in the stables brushing Stormfly's scales. Normally, this was a task that Hofferson preferred to do herself, and the fact that she was apparently too busy to set time apart for it spoke volumes. However, he didn't know for certain until she walked in with Heather, the latter bringing Windshear in for feeding. The women greeted him, then resumed talking in hushed voices. He simply continued his task, knowing that eavesdropping would be disrespectful.

Heather left immediately, but Hofferson stayed behind, looking at Stormfly with a troubled expression. He was reluctant to speak, for fear he might be out of line, but he was worried. Hofferson was quite the force to be reckoned with, so what could possibly have her like this?

"Ma'am?" he asked softly.

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"Is..." He hesitated, but continued anyway. "Is everything all right?"

"Why do you ask?" Ah, that was another thing she was famous for: evading questions.

"You seem... troubled." She raised her eyebrows, and he quickly backtracked. "Uh... but it must be the missing man, which you haven't found. I'll, um, I'll mind my own-"

"I did find him", she said quietly, and he stopped.

"You... you did?"

"Well, I didn't find _him_ , but I did find out where he was."

Her tone didn't indicate good news. Was he buried somewhere? "And... it's a bad place?"

"You could say that." She was scrutinising him right now, and he tried not to squirm under her stare. Although Hofferson had never been even remotely threatening towards him, something about her confidence still inspired a sort of fear deep within him. Suddenly, she stepped closer to Stormfly and stroked her snout. The dragon purred.

"You care for the dragons, don't you, Einar?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What would you do if one of them was taken to be killed and sold for their hide?"

Einar blinked. "Why should that happen?"

"Just consider it. What would you do?"

"I'd do anything I could to get them back, ma'am. And I'd make sure the culprit could never do it again", he said as sincerely as he could.

She stared at him for a moment. Apparently satisfied with his answer, she smiled sadly. "Good, because that's exactly what you might have to do."

"Ma'am, are the dragons in danger? Did someone try to take Stormfly?" He checked the Nadder once more. He hadn't noticed any injuries.

Hofferson sighed. "There's an entire organisation, Einar, just like ours. And they hunt dragons. They kill them and then sell their skin, their fangs, their poison, anything that could be valuable. They have plenty of customers too."

"So... we're going to stop them, right?"

"Yes, but it won't be easy. The head of the organisation, a certain Viggo Grimborn, is far smarter than the people we're used to dealing with, and they're quite widespread. It'll take more than just men and brute force to stop them."

"But... you have dealt with smart men before, ma'am. What about Drago?"

"Yes, I know. However, we still have to be careful." She regarded him for a moment. "I haven't told anyone other than Heather yet, Einar. Can you imagine why I decided to tell you?"

He considered the question. "So that I can be on the lookout if anyone suspicious comes to the stables?"

She laughed briefly and scratched Stormfly. "I hope they don't get that far, Einar. No, the reason I told you is because you understand _what_ we're protecting. Most of my men will think that I'm going against the dragon hunters as a way of preventing them from taking my dragon, but you and I know what wonderful creatures dragons really are." Stormfly squawked, though he couldn't tell if it was in agreement with her rider or if she was just enjoying being scratched. "We know they don't deserve to be treated like mere livestock."

He nodded. Hofferson gave Stormfly one last pat and walked towards the entrance. He hesitated for a second before deciding that, if his first question hadn't been a transgression, this one shouldn't be, either.

"Ma'am?"

She turned her head. "Yes, Einar?"

"Can I help stop the hunters?"

She smiled. "I wouldn't have told you privately if I hadn't intended for you to take part."

Einar barely managed to contain his grin until she left.

* * *

Astrid was crouched behind the crate, axe grasped tightly in her hand, listening. Beside her, Heather was in the same position. Her people were spread out all over the place, waiting for her signal that it was time to move. At last, she heard heavy footsteps followed by an authoritative voice.

"All right, the people have started coming, so make sure that those dragons are restrained until the time of the auction or you'll have to answer to me!" That, according to the information she'd got, was Ryker, Grimborn's brother and second-in-command. His instructions were what she'd been waiting for. As soon as Ryker's footsteps faded outside, she jumped out of her hiding place and took down the hunter in front of her. Her men followed suit, attacking the enemies before they could react or, more importantly, spread the alert. Two of her people stripped the hunters of their clothes and quickly dressed up as soldiers, staying behind to guard the entrance. The rest of her team moved forward, disposing of anyone they encountered. She wished she could say these losses would be problematic for Grimborn, but she knew that they would be replaced easily. After all, her people had had no problem getting rid of the guards when they'd made their move; no effort had been made to train them. Then again, she thought, maybe they were better prepared to deal with dragons than people, which had worked out in her benefit. However, she was aware that this was the only instance where sneaking in would be so easy; Grimborn wasn't expecting her. He was smart, and she didn't doubt that next time she tried to attack, he'd be ready for it. Which was why she should make this count, she decided.

They advanced all along the cave, taking care of every single man inside. Once they were sure there was nobody else left, Heather went back to the entrance. She brought a large bag of fish and a few of the men quickly created a trail leading to the exit. After getting confirmation from their guards that nobody had come yet, each of them stationed themselves next to a dragon's cage. They were pretty agitated from all the fighting they'd just seen, which would also be in their favour; they'd cause a bigger ruckus, allowing them to, hopefully, escape unseen. At Astrid's signal, they opened all of the cages at the same time and then immediately crouched low on the ground, raising their shields. The dragons got out and, seeing the fish on the floor, quickly went after it, going towards the exit. Astrid and her people followed a prudent distance behind. When the dragons were out and they could hear the noises of weapons being drawn and men cursing, Astrid signalled. One by one, the men filed out of the cave and carefully made their way to the forest, on the other side of which waited their ships.

When Astrid was the only one left to get out, she looked behind her, at all the open cages, and thought of Hiccup. He'd probably approve of what she was doing, even if he would nag her about killing Grimborn's men. She really hoped he didn't learn of what was going on here. She didn't doubt that he would do everything he could to stop Grimborn, and that worried her. Grimborn was no Dagur; he was smart, had a big, powerful organisation, and he wasn't blinded by revenge. Hiccup would be no match for him, and she didn't want him anywhere near the dragon hunter. She'd deal with him alone, even if she wasn't sure she could actually put an end to his business.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she pulled her hood over her head. As she sneaked out of the cave, she was unaware that she was being watched by a pair of confused, suspicious eyes.

* * *

Viggo sipped his mead without really tasting it. He'd always found that the one sold in this particular tavern was rather bland, but the tavern's owner, he'd discovered, was more willing to cooperate with people he regarded as customers than with strangers. In the past, he'd used threats, and he still did with some of the people he traded with. However, he didn't see the point in using brute force, and having to bring extra men, when there was a much easier way.

The owner – Strongarm, they called him – finally came back with the bag.

"Here you go", he said in a much too loud voice. Viggo didn't like to draw unnecessary attention.

"Thank you", he replied flatly, giving him a cold stare. Even if he wasn't planning to do anything to him, a little fear was always good. The man seemed to understand his mistake and flinched.

"My apologies, Viggo", he practically whispered. " Is there anything else?"

"No, that will be all", he replied. Although he wanted to leave immediately, he should probably finish his mead first; not doing so would seem strange to the others. When he was getting close to the bottom of the mug, some drunk came and sat on the bench right next to him.

"Mornin'", he slurred.

Viggo didn't pay him any heed; he was too busy thinking. He needed to figure out who was attacking his business. The first time had been catastrophic; he hadn't expected it, and as a result all of the dragons he had prepared for that auction had escaped, a fair number of his men killed. Nobody had seen anything except for one of his crew, a man who'd told him he'd seen someone get out of the cave. He'd tried to follow, but wasn't able to. The man had noticed it was a female, but since she'd been wearing a hood, he'd failed to get a good look at her.

With so little information, there wasn't really much he could do except prepare for another attack. He trained a select few of his soldiers better, and doubled the guard on the dragons. The second time it happened, during a transaction with one of his regular customers, they were able to prevent some of the damage, though a fair number of dragons still escaped. The attackers who'd been captured didn't speak, no matter how much Viggo tortured them. A few of them had been women, but none of them wore a hood. Frustrated, he'd had them all executed. If he'd known who this mysterious foe was, he'd have hung up their corpses where they could see, as a lesson.

And as if having to deal with these attacks wasn't enough, just a week ago he'd sent Ryker to the Reaper to get the Dragon Eye so they could find some new dragons. Viggo had been hoping to soften the blows to his trade, and his fury upon his brother's discovery that the precious item was gone had been terrible. He didn't know if the person who took the Eye was the one behind the attacks or not, but he wasn't going to let anyone ruin his business. He would find his enemy, whatever it took.

"Hey", the drunk said. "I said good mornin'". When Viggo still didn't answer, the man slammed his hand on the table in front of him. Viggo responded by taking out his dagger and placing it against the drunk's throat, and the man quickly recoiled.

"A'right, a'right", he said, sitting back. "Don' know wha's going on with everybody."

"Nothing's going on, Muggy", Strongarm laughed as he passed by, cleaning tankards. "You just have a knack for going where you're least wanted."

"No kiddin'. Lady last week, so pretty, an' she refused my money!"

"Not every woman at a tavern is a whore, Muggy. As long as you don't learn that, you'll keep getting punched in the face." He smirked. "Especially if that woman is none other than _the_ Astrid Hofferson."

Viggo had barely been paying attention to the conversation, but that name ringed a bell. "Hofferson? Wasn't that the famous assassin?"

"Hœttr Hofferson, yes", Strongarm replied, looking at him. "Astrid Hofferson is his daughter."

Now that the man mentioned it, he did remember seeing her name in wanted posters across a couple of islands. From what he'd heard about her, she wasn't a person to be crossed; anyone who tried usually ended up dead. "And I imagine she didn't take kindly to the insinuation that she was a whore."

"I'm surprised that Muggy's still alive, to be honest. I thought he was a dead man."

"Weird, tha' one", Muggy interjected. "I wen' out, y'know, take a piss, an' there she was, gettin' on a bloody _dragon_ of all things…"

Viggo turned sharply towards the man. "What?"

"Oh, don't listen to him", Strongarm interrupted. "He swears he saw Hofferson leave on the back of a dragon. It seems he had enough mead in him to confuse a horse with a dragon, of all things."

"I' was a dragon!" the drunk insisted. "Blue, head wi' pointy things…"

"Did it have spines in its tail?" Viggo asked.

"Spines?" Muggy seemed confused.

He sighed. "Small pointy things", he clarified.

The man considered it for a second and then smiled. "Yes! In t' tail! I saw them!"

Viggo stood up abruptly. "Thank you", he said, both to the drunk man and Strongarm, and stepped outside, his mind racing.

It could be nothing but the ramblings of a drunk, of course. However… the attacks on his business had been carried out with precision, by someone with experience, which he knew Hofferson had. He'd never considered her because there was no reason for her to suddenly go against someone; she was a business person, as far as he knew. If she rode a dragon, though, she might very well have some sort of motivation.

At the very least, he now had a lead to investigate. He had to wait until the next hit to confirm it, but he had something to work with. And if it turned out to be her… well, then she'd be sorry for betraying the unspoken pact between people like them: they stole from others, but not from each other.

* * *

 **A/N: You may not remember this, but at the end of Burning, Astrid found the Dragon Eye in the cargo she stole from Alvin ;)**

 **So how was it? This and the following chapter will set up the events of the fic. After that, plenty of action coming :P**

 **See you soon!**


	2. Challenge

Being in charge of the dragons around the camp meant that Einar was familiar with their behaviour. So when he spotted a green Terror flying towards them, he knew at first glance that this wasn't one of theirs. Hofferson kept a dozen or so trained Terrors for messaging, apart from her own personal one, and she'd trained every one of them to be stealthy, something which this particular terror clearly lacked. Einar jumped up from where he'd been counting the fish for the dragons and ran towards it. Apparently, the dragon had received some kind of training, for it perched on his shoulder and stretched out its leg, revealing the little parchment tied to it. As soon as he'd removed the message, the Terror took off again.

All of this was very strange, and it indicated they were dealing with something new, so he wasted no time in rushing towards Hofferson's tent. Once there, he was greeted by Heather, who went in. A moment later, she came out, along with Hofferson.

"What is it, Einar?" she asked.

"This came by Terror", he replied, handing her the parchment. "And it wasn't one of ours."

When she started to read it, Einar made to leave, since it probably wasn't any of his business. However, he hadn't taken more than a few steps when she called him.

"Einar, remember when I said you could help with the dragon hunters?"

He turned to her. "Yes?"

She smirked. "Well, now's the time."

* * *

"Do you _have_ to go alone?" Heather asked for the hundredth time, from the back of Windshear.

"I won't be _alone_ , Heather. I have you two, and Viggo said he's coming alone, too", Astrid told her. Stormfly squawked, and she grinned and patted her. "And you, of course, girl."

"Hofferson?" Einar asked timidly. He'd been tremendously eager to prove himself, as most boys his age did, but when she'd assigned him to come with her and Heather, he seemed like he didn't quite think he belonged there. And while that was true, at some point she had to test his mettle, so why not start then? "Why do you trust him?"

"I don't, not really" she answered. "I trust that he will not try to kill me instantly because he probably thinks he can get me to cooperate with him or something. That's all."

They didn't speak any more until they reached the island that Viggo had specified for their meeting. Like he'd said, it was tiny and had no trees. Nowhere for other people to hide. As they'd agreed, Astrid directed Stormfly down, while Heather and Einar circled above on Windshear. She landed and approached the man sitting on the other side of a flat stone.

Viggo Grimborn didn't look like much, she thought. Regular height, not particularly muscled, although he wasn't lanky either, dark beard covering the lower half of his face, he didn't seem particularly threatening at first glance. It was when she looked at his eyes that she noticed it, that sharp, malicious glint that might've made lesser men shiver. His was the bearing of a man who knew he was smarter than everyone else, and who had no scruples to get what he wanted.

Well, not that she had much of that, either. But she had things – _people_ – she cared about. She could tell the only things that mattered to Viggo were gold and reputation. She wondered what kind of relationship he had with his brother, Ryker. Probably not a cordial one, even if they worked together.

Viggo smiled as she stepped closer, stopping before the stone. "Hofferson", he greeted.

"Grimborn", she replied. Her previous dislike of him meant her own smile was tighter. If he noticed, he made no comment.

"I see you came with a friend", he said instead, looking up at Windshear.

"As did you" she replied, nodding towards the ship stationed a ways from the island. She wanted him to stop beating around the bush and get to it, so that she could tell him they weren't going to reach any kind of arrangement. Admittedly, quite hypocritical of her, considering how often she did the same.

Grimborn nodded. "So", he started. "I trust that you know why I called you here?"

"Of course." She didn't know _how_ he knew that it had been her behind the attacks, truth be told. She'd lost a couple of people in the second hit, and according to those that came back, some had been captured alive, but she knew they hadn't betrayed her. It didn't matter. "You want me to stop attacking you."

"I do. I'm quite aware that I killed one of your men. Uffe, was that his name? I do apologise. He happened to stop at our island, and found us. I gave him a choice: he could stay with us or die. I was unaware that he worked for you. I never did it with the intent of aggravating you. I hope you understand that."

"I do". She smiled bitterly. "But that won't bring him back, will it?"

Grimborn sighed. "I can't undo my actions, Hofferson. And in any case, from what I understand, you took your revenge, didn't you? I took something from you, and you in turn took something from me."

"An eye for an eye. I'd think you of all people would understand that."

"Yes, but you see, it wasn't really that. Because I took one of your men, hardly worth anything, whereas you took something that has been in my clan for generations, and which I require for my business."

 _He means the cylinder thing_ , Astrid realised. So it was his after all. For a long time, her people had asked around, but nobody could tell her what it was or who it belonged to. She'd tracked down the smugglers that had stolen it in the first place, but they'd taken it out of pure greed and didn't know what it was. A search of the ship from which it had been taken didn't reveal any new information. But now that she thought about it, the signs on the thing were remarkably similar to the ones on the hunters' ships.

"You do now? What a pity."

There was a silence.

"I have a proposal for you." Ah, there it was.

"What is it?" she asked in a bored tone.

"You give me back the Dragon Eye and stop attacking my transactions."

"In exchange for what?"

"See, that's the part you'll like", he smiled. "Right now, I don't know if I have anything that might interest you, so you get to call in a favour whenever you want."

"What kind of favour?"

He shrugged. "Anything you might need. Spare men, ships, _dragons_. I've noticed you seem to like them."

She smiled sweetly. "I do. And see, that's the problem. I quite like dragons, and I don't appreciate what you're doing."

He scoffed. "Really, Hofferson? Your father was a renowned _assassin_ , and you're going to lecture _me_ on morality?"

She laughed. "No, of course not. As a matter of fact, it has been my experience that dragons are far better than us humans."

"So killing people is not a problem, but killing dragons is?"

She smirked. "Pretty much." It sounded ridiculous when put that way, but she couldn't care less. She had her standards, and she stood by them. Even if they were much lower than regular people's.

"I see." He sighed. "Well, then, I suppose there is no point in further continuing this conversation."

"Not unless you're willing to give up your trade. In that case, I would gladly give it back. But I imagine that won't be happening any time soon."

Grimborn smirked. "You imagine correctly. In that case, I will just have to take the Eye from you."

She smiled dangerously. "Oh, you will try. Whether you manage it or not is another matter entirely."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Like you don't enjoy them."

He considered her carefully. "Yes, I suppose I rather do. And rarely do I have the chance to compete against such a worthy rival."

"Am I supposed to feel flattered?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I was merely pointing out what is obvious. Don't expect our next meeting to be as friendly as this one."

"Pity. This was fun."

He scoffed. "I will be seeing you, Hofferson."

"Grimborn."

They backed away slowly, both of them still facing the other in case they tried to attack, until Astrid reached Stormfly and climbed on her back. Her dragon rose quickly above the island. As soon as she was a fair distance away, Windshear approached.

"So?" Heather asked, watching Viggo get on a boat that was going back to the ship.

Astrid shrugged. "He wanted us to back off, I refused."

"Is he going to do something, ma'am?" Einar asked.

"Remember that thing that we took from Alvin's ship?" Heather nodded, while Einar looked confused. "It's his. He called it the 'Dragon Eye', and apparently it's important to his business. He wanted it back. He thought I took it because I killed Uffe."

"So is he going to try to get it now?" Heather sounded worried.

"Obviously. We'll just have to be ready for him."

"And in the meantime", Einar spoke up, "do we keep attacking him?"

"Of course."

* * *

Viggo impatiently tapped his fingers against the wood of his ship while he waited for Trader Johann to show up. He scanned the horizon for the third time in a row; he was late, and this man could have the information he needed to finally find the way to deal with the Hofferson situation.

He'd reasoned that, if he wanted to get the Eye back, he needed to take something of hers of equal value and make a trade. Since he doubted she had any one object that was as important to her trade as the Eye was to his, and it would be nigh impossible to find out where she kept her gold, Viggo knew that he needed to find something personal. She had seemed to care a great deal about her dragon, so he'd figured he had to understand her motivation for protecting dragons. His men had asked around the islands frequented by people who didn't care much for the law, but nobody seemed to know her personally.

He'd learned that she'd first been seen with her dragon about a year ago, which at first had been completely useless, until he remembered just _what_ had also happened around that time. Although he'd stopped working for the man by then, he had heard accounts from other people of how Drago had built a huge dragon army and attacked some island. The attempt had been unsuccessful, however, due to some people that apparently lived there and weren't going to let others invade their home. Some of those people had been riding dragons, something which he'd considered ridiculous at the time, but he could now believe. It had been clear to him, then, that Hofferson had been somehow involved in all of that. He'd hoped to learn something from the island's inhabitants, only to discover, upon arriving there, that nobody lived in that place, just dragons. He'd decided right then and there that the only way he'd get to the bottom of it would be to question somebody who had personally taken part in the battle. To that end, he'd put up signs offering a reward for information, knowing that he'd get a bunch of pretenders but also that it was easier than trying to track down the remainders of Drago's army.

After many false leads, he'd finally been contacted by a man named Bard who had been a general for Drago. Despite his brute appearance, he was actually quite intelligent and remembered a lot of details from the battle. The most important thing, however, was that he recognised Hofferson's drawing instantly and told him she'd been working in his ship. Viggo had been surprised, but the man told him that she'd come with a boy who Bard had discovered to be a traitor, as he actually sympathised with the dragons, so maybe the girl –as Bard called her- was a traitor, too. This made a lot of sense to Viggo, given that undercover work seemed to be right up Hofferson's alley. He then questioned the ex-general regarding Hofferson's work in the ship. Thus he discovered that she was actually pretty good with dragons. Another thing interested him, though.

"You say that she was close with that boy, what was his name?" Viggo had asked him.

"Hiccup", Bard replied. "Pretty smart, that one, and even better with dragons. They got on like a house on fire. As far as I could tell, he fancied her, but didn't want to admit it, for whatever reason."

"And what about her?"

Bard chuckled. "It was clear to any man with eyes that she wanted him, too. She was always close to him. I even heard a rumour once, that he'd stopped someone from raping her, but I never found out if it was true."

"So she cared about him."

The other man frowned. "Yes, I'm telling you she did. Why is this so interesting to you?" Then his expression cleared. "Oh, I see. You're going to use him to get to her, aren't you?"

Viggo's eyebrows rose. "You are smarter than I imagined."

Bard smirked. "People tend to make that mistake."

"I see. What can you tell me about Hiccup?"

In the end, he hadn't actually got that much information about this Hiccup, other than his physical description, but he'd learned that he rode a Night Fury, which Viggo thought was pretty unique and should help him. So now he was waiting for Johann, who often travelled to islands where people like him weren't welcome and who might be able to get more information.

At last, the sail he knew so well appeared in the horizon, and their ship started moving. As soon as they were close enough, Viggo crossed over to Johann's ship.

"Good day, Johann", he smiled.

Johann looked nervous, as he always did in the hunter's presence. "Mr. Grimborn", he said respectfully (and fearfully). "What's this about? I have yet to start the trade. I don't have anything you might consider interesting."

"Oh, but I think you might. See, I'm looking for someone named Hiccup." At the name, Johann's eyes widened. "You know him?"

"Young master Hiccup? He's the heir of Berk. Why do you ask?"

"That's none of your concern" Viggo snapped, and Johann shrank back. "You say that he's from Berk?"

"Yes, Mr. Grimborn."

"And does he happen to ride a Night Fury?"

"Toothless, yes."

"Toothless?" Pitiful name for a _Night Fury_ , really. Not that it mattered. "Does this description fit him?" He handed Johann the parchment where he'd written down what Bard had told him. The trader scanned it for a moment before shakily nodding.

"Yes, this is definitely him."

Viggo smiled dangerously and, thanking him, returned to his own ship. As they parted, he looked at the sea. _I'm going to get you back, Hofferson. I'm going to snatch something important right from between your claws._

* * *

 **A/N: Hiccup will show up next chapter, don't worry :P I don't know whether he'll meet Astrid or not, but that reunion's coming soon too :)**


	3. Unprepared

"...so now the Jorgensons claim that the Svensons have taken three of their sheep, while the Svensons are saying that it was completely legal. How would you solve this, son?"

Hiccup sighed. Really, he considered himself good at making peace between two conflicting sides, and he enjoyed it, but he'd been solving imaginary problems for an hour now. He was starting to grow bored.

"I guess the best compromise would be to ask the Svensons to return one of their sheep to the Jorgensons. And perhaps advise them both to start writing down their bets before actually making them. Not that they would actually pay much heed to that."

"True that", his father remarked. "But still, it's an effective solution, I think. Well done, Hiccup. Now, for the next one-"

"Oh, come on, Dad", Hiccup groaned. "We've been doing this for ages now. If I could change _your_ mind about dragons, I think I can solve a domestic dispute."

Stoick stared at him for a few seconds. "Fine", he reluctantly agreed. "You can go now." As Hiccup got up, he added, "You're doing great at this, son. I knew you had it in you!"

The rider gave his father a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, Dad", he replied, and was out the door before the man could change his mind. As soon as he stepped outside, Toothless, who had been napping next to the hut, perked up, eyes wide and expression curious. Hiccup grinned.

"Let's go flying, bud."

As they soared over the sea, he let himself relax. This whole chief business was really getting to his nerves. Although his father was completely confident in his abilities, Hiccup himself wasn't. Sure, he was doing well in the scenarios his father invented, but that was all theoretical. In practice, he knew that actually having to take care of the whole village would be entirely different, and far more difficult. However, he knew he would have to do it, eventually. He was the heir, and if he were to step down, Snotlout would have to be chief. And if Hiccup thought that _he_ was ill-fitted to be chief, his cousin would be much worse. All of this was what made Hiccup eventually agree to his father's lessons.

Truth be told, he'd hoped he'd feel better, more prepared, after some time, but it had been a month now and he didn't yet have more confidence in himself. Despite Stoick's constant praise and assurances, that feeling that he wasn't good enough persisted. Then again, maybe that was natural after fifteen years of insecurity.

Once he got back, a few hours later, he headed into the forge to give Gobber a hand. Since he'd started taking chiefing lessons, he didn't have as much time to spend there, which meant the blacksmith was busier than usual. The man greeted him with a smile as Toothless settled down by the door.

"Look who finally showed up." Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I'll get right to it. What's up?" he asked as he took his apron from its hook.

"We have a couple of axes to sharpen, so start with those."

As he worked, his mind was still back in the air, where he'd been testing his flight suit. Toothless wasn't exactly fond of it, but it worked perfectly. He just had to figure out a couple of details, such as the steering. And besides, there was something exhilarating in free falling along with his dragon, like he was actually flying all by himself. Still, he'd have to wait until he got home to start sketching.

That night, as he prepared to go to sleep, he found himself wondering what Astrid was doing. He sometimes thought about her, and when he did, the anxiety about becoming chief seemed to worsen. Because he knew perfectly well that being friends with a well-known criminal wasn't exactly compatible with being a chief. What if one day they crossed paths? How exactly was he supposed to act? Or, even worse, what if one day he had to actually fight against her? He knew he couldn't do that. She'd told him she'd stay away from him, but leading a village meant having to travel, for trading, for diplomatic reasons, anything. He just hoped she would find the way to keep her promise.

The following morning, when he went downstairs to get breakfast, his father was waiting for him with a serious expression.

"Morning, Dad. What is it?"

"Hiccup, we have to talk", Stoick stated as they both sat down at the table.

"So noted."

"It's time you put those skills you've practising to the test."

Hiccup swallowed. "And that means...?"

"As you know, the Thing is coming up in a month. This year it's in Meathead island."

"Oh." He'd been learning about the Thing, an important meeting of chiefs from the islands all over the archipelago. Lots of important people. Then he remembered his father's previous comment. "And you want me to go?"

Stoick nodded. "Aye. It'll be a great chance for you to interact with the other chiefs. Maybe even make some allies. You'll be dealing with them soon, after all."

Hiccup sighed inwardly. He wasn't looking forward to having a bunch of older men criticise him because of his general un-Viking-ness, from his appearance to his way of thinking, but his father was right. He needed to get used to them. Besides, this was an opportunity to try and convince other people to accept the dragons as Berk had. So he just nodded.

Stoick beamed. "Great!" Then his face got serious again. "Also... many of the other chiefs are also coming with their heirs. Mostly the ones that are your age."

Hiccup thought he knew where this was going. "So... I can make friends with them? For the future?" (That wasn't what his father meant and he knew it.)

"Well, yes, that would be convenient too." The man nodded. "But also..."

He sighed. "Marriage."

"You're twenty, Hiccup. It's about time you found a woman you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. And hopefully, one who can give you heirs."

Hiccup knew all this, of course. He just didn't see himself being a _husband_ , never mind a _father_. It was his duty, however (another reason why he was so reluctant to be chief). Not only that, but he'd never found a woman that he'd consider getting married to, at least not in the island. The only other girl his age that he was friends with, Ruffnut, was definitely not an option for him. (She was for Snotlout and Fishlegs, though. He was mildly curious to see how that ended up.) He'd never really given thought to marrying someone outside Berk. Given the circumstances, however, he supposed it made sense.

"I just..."

"Just what?"

"I don't want marry out of duty. I want to marry for love, like you and Mom."

"Well, give the other heirs a chance, Hiccup. I'm sure that you'll find one you like."

Hiccup decided not to mention that his main worry wasn't that _he_ wouldn't find someone, but rather that whoever he liked may not like him back. After all, he didn't think that only elder Vikings would be put off by his unconventional ways.

"Very well. I'll try." As long as he didn't end up with a female version of Dagur, he guessed he'd be all right.

Stoick smiled. "You'll see, son."

* * *

Hiccup felt an odd sense of familiarity as Toothless landed in a spot a ways off from the main village, where everybody was. His father had mentioned that they shouldn't show up right in the middle of everyone on dragonback, unless they wanted to start a fight, and Hiccup had agreed. As they began walking towards the path that would take them to their destination, he realised that this, more than a year ago, was exactly what they'd done when they'd come here with Astrid. _What a strange coincidence_ , he thought.

Predictably, when they encountered other people, their first reaction was to try to attack the dragons. It took a bit of explaining, and a demonstration by Toothless, for them to calm down. Fortunately, they were able to do so without any incident. In fact, the children that were walking along with them soon started playing with Toothless, petting him and offering him bits of food which the Night Fury readily accepted. Hiccup laughed when he saw this.

The moment they entered the village, the rider gaped in amazement. He knew that Berk was small compared to other places in the archipelago, but he'd never imagined that a village could be quite this big and crowded. Dozens of stalls had been crudely built along the sides of the main road, undoubtedly for the Thing. Vikings of all origins were walking around, shopping at the stalls, or having arguments (of course), and he knew they were from other places because their clothing was nothing like his own. Some were covered entirely in armour, while others wore plain cotton clothing, although the majority, like them, wore a mixture of both. A lot of people stopped to stare at the dragons, but seeing the children playing with them, nobody made a move to attack. Relieved, they continued their way towards the Great Hall, where the other chieftains were gathered. A few Vikings recognised Stoick and stopped to greet him, occasionally asking about the dragons.

Finally, they reached the meeting place. A crowd was gathered at the bottom of the stairs, but nobody went up. Hiccup and Stoick made their way through the people, who parted immediately at the sight of the dragons, until they reached the front, where a man dressed in uniform stopped them. He was clearly nervous, but he stood firm.

"Only chieftains and heirs here, sir."

Before Hiccup could explain that he _was_ an heir, his father, who'd fallen behind, showed up, and the guard instantly relaxed.

"Stoick! Long time no see."

"Likewise, Ivar" his father smiled.

"Is this your son?" he asked, nodding towards Hiccup, who couldn't help the irritation at being ignored.

"Indeed."

"I see." Ivar stared at Hiccup with a critical expression, and the latter suppressed a sigh. It'd been a while since people had regarded him as the weak son of the great Stoick the Vast, and he doubted this would be the last time here. "Well, come through, then."

"Thank you." They both nodded at the guard and climbed up the stairs. They told the dragons to stay outside; they didn't want to cause a panic. (Toothless was clearly displeased with the idea.) Inside, the Hall looked pretty much like Berk's, only bigger: large tables and benches, people talking with mugs of mead in their hands. The main difference was that all the elders, who were obviously chiefs, were dressed in their finest clothes. Stoick had brought the heavy golden belt and had put it on after getting off Skullcrusher, along with a fur cloak, but Hiccup hadn't had time to get changed; his flight suit took a long time to get off. Luckily, as he scanned the room, he noticed that the youngest people, probably also heirs, weren't dressed so formally.

"Stoick!" a voice boomed. A large man with long black hair (he swore, all the chiefs were _huge_ ) approached them, smiling.

"Holger!" his father replied. The two men shook hands, and then Holger looked at Hiccup. Unlike the guard outside, if he was judging him, he hid it well and smiled. "And you must be Hiccup, Stoick's heir." The chief of the Meathead tribe crushed Hiccup's hand and then turned back to his father. "Well, don't just stand there. Come in. We've heard you've come with dragons. Such strange rumours one hears these days."

"Actually, Holger", his father smiled. "It's true. We came flying on them."

Holger was speechless for a moment.

"Really? How did you manage that?"

Stoick turned to his son and smiled. "I think Hiccup will explain it better than anybody."

"Very well, in that case, come, boy." Holger smiled at Hiccup. "Let the other chiefs hear about it."

* * *

Following the indications of the chiefs, Hiccup found the lady on the side of the Hall who was pouring mead and asked for a mug. The woman gave him one with a smile. Thanking her, he left and found a quiet corner to sit down.

"Hey", someone said.

Hiccup turned around, unsure whether somebody had been talking to him.

"Hey, Hiccup."

He looked around for the source of the voice and finally found it: a blonde girl who was standing by a side door he hadn't noticed before. She was smiling at him. He walked closer.

"Um, hi?" he said, uncertainly.

"Hello." She smiled. "That was pretty amazing. I mean, the story you told back there."

"Oh." At Holger's insistence, he'd told the story of how he'd found Toothless and showed to the other Vikings that they were wrong. He'd left out some details, such as the fact that his father had disowned him, which he considered much too personal to share. "Thanks, I guess."

"Can you show me?" she asked. Her blue eyes scrutinised him. She was rather pretty, Hiccup thought idly, wearing a long blue tunic with a belt that secured it, a dagger strapped to it. She looked surprisingly burly and muscular for a woman. Belatedly, he remembered she'd asked him a question.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Can I see your dragon?"

"Uh, sure, I guess. He's outside, so..." He turned to the exit, but to his surprise she grabbed his arm.

"Let's go through here. If we go through there" she nodded at the main entrance, "the other chiefs won't stop asking questions."

"Okay, that makes sense" he nodded. "I think I should tell my dad I'm leaving, though."

She winked at him, and he blinked. "We won't be gone that long, and they all seem pretty deep in conversation. Let's go."

Bewildered, he started to follow her outside before he realised one thing. "I didn't catch your name."

"Camicazi", she smiled.

* * *

 **A/N: The belt that Stoick brought, in case anyone was wondering, is the one that appears in the ROB episode when the Berserkers go to sign the peace treaty.**

 **Also, I'm going to be in a beach house until Friday, and I'm leaving tomorrow. I won't have Internet access unless I go to the petrol station or something, so review replies will be delayed.**


	4. Getting to know you

As soon as they stepped outside, Toothless bounded to them, tongue lolling. Hiccup laughed and scratched his neck, while Camicazi cautiously took a few steps back. The rider smiled at her.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

"Yes, you said as much, but you can't deny that he... looks intimidating."

Toothless turned his gummy smile on her. His pupils were widened in curiosity.

"Do you want to touch him?"

"I... uh, sure. How do I do that?"

In response, Hiccup went closer to her and reached for her wrist before realising what he was doing.

"May I?" he asked. She was another heir after all; she probably expected some degree of respect, and he'd do well not to piss her off.

"Okay..." He took her wrist and slowly led her forward, towards Toothless, who looked at them expectantly. The auburn-haired boy let go of the girl's wrist, leaving her hand hanging in the air. She gave him a questioning glance.

"Don't move. You have to show him that he can trust you."

She nodded and waited with baited breath. Toothless slowly stepped forward and sniffed the offered hand. After a few seconds, the dragon pressed his head into Camicazi's hand, and she gave a relieved smile as she rubbed him.

"Wow", she said.

"Yeah", Hiccup smiled.

"And how did you know to do that the first time?" she asked, now turning to him but with her hand still on the Night Fury.

Hiccup shrugged. "I didn't, not really. I just tried."

"Weren't you afraid of him, I don't know, biting your hand off?"

"He'd already had a chance to kill me", he reminded her. "He didn't, so I reasoned he wasn't going to hurt me."

"Ah."

She wordlessly continued to stroke the dragon. The silence was making Hiccup uncomfortable, so he tried to break it.

"So... what tribe are you from?" She already knew his name and tribe; it seemed only fair that he knew hers, too.

She smirked. "The Bog Burglars. Surely you've heard of us."

"Ah, yes. You've got quite the... _reputation_ around the archipelago." The Bogs had gained their name after they'd proven their abilities time and time again. Although they had never caused any major problems, most people were still wary of them. As a matter of fact, Stoick had told him not to take anything of value for that very reason.

Camicazi laughed. "Well earned, too", she said, echoing his thoughts. "Let me guess, your father warned you about us?"

"He did tell me not to bring anything that you might be interested in", he smiled. "Lucky for me, I don't think you can steal Toothless."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No. I'd like to keep my dragon, if you don't mind." An idea crossed his mind. _Maybe..._ "But you can get your own dragon, if you'd like."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? How so?"

"Well, I'm sure there must be some wild dragons around here. One of them might bond with you. I can help you with that, if you want."

The blonde considered him for a moment, and then smiled. "I might just hold you to that." She was going to add something else when they both noticed a girl running to them.

"Miss Camicazi!" she exclaimed when she arrived. "A woman named Farah wants to speak with you. She says it's important."

The blonde sighed. "Very well. I'm coming." She turned to him and winked. "See you later, Hiccup. And by the way, maybe you should refrain from mentioning this to your father."

"This?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, you know, us going outside, alone? The elders like to freak out over that sort of thing." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh. Fair enough, I guess."

"Miss Camicazi..." the girl said.

"Yes, yes, I'm going." She turned and left without another word. Hiccup watched her walk away. Toothless, who'd bounded to his side, made a noise that sounded like laughter.

"What?" he asked, looking at him. "She could be an ally to us, bud. It's important."

The dragon gave him a sceptical look and snorted.

* * *

That night, as Hiccup and Stoick prepared to go to bed in the room that had been assigned to them, the rider decided to pry a little.

"Dad?"

"Yes, son?" his father replied while he took off his heavy cloak.

"If the Bogs are burglars, how come they're still welcome at the meetings?"

"Well, that was a topic of some discussion in its time, let me tell you. Some chiefs still believe we shouldn't invite them, but they're actually on friendly terms with most of the tribes. Probably because they're smart enough not to steal from the heads of the islands, or their families. As far as I know, they often steal from what they call 'rich brats'."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. We didn't see their leader at the meeting today, though, did we?" He couldn't recall anyone mentioning the Bogs, nor had he seen Camicazi again.

"No, and I'm afraid you won't meet Bertha this year. There was an emergency of some sort and she had to return back to her island. Her daughter Camicazi stayed, however, because she was unable to attend last year and I guess Bertha wanted her heir to be here."

"Makes sense." He kept his tone as neutral as possible, trying not to show interest. "And what do _you_ think?"

"What do I think of what? Camicazi?" his father asked as he lay down on the bed.

"Yeah, and, you know, the Bogs in general."

Stoick shrugged. "Honestly, I don't have much of an opinion. I haven't had to deal with them much, seeing as they're so far away from us. But they seem honourable enough, I suppose."

"I see." Hiccup lay down in bed too. He wished Toothless could stay with them, but there wasn't enough space for him, so he slept outside.

"What's with these questions? Are you considering an alliance with them?"

"Perhaps. If they don't have a problem defying the rules, maybe riding dragons wouldn't be seem so... unconceivable to them."

"Oh, _that's_ what you're thinking about." Stoick stroked his beard. "It could be. You should also consider the other tribes."

"I will. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Hiccup."

* * *

The following day was interesting. After breakfast and trying to coax Toothless out of his grumpy mood for a few minutes (to no avail, the dragon was quite offended by being left outside), Hiccup and his father went to the Great Hall again. For a while, he stood by the chief's side, greeting others, exchanging pleasantries and learning their names and tribes, as he knew Stoick would expect. After some time, one of the chiefs asked for a demonstration of his dragon training abilities, so he brought Toothless into the hall. Despite his earlier attitude, the Night Fury eagerly complied. Some of the people, chiefs and heirs, asked him if they could approach him, and Hiccup patiently taught each of them what needed to be done. He noticed that Camicazi was absent, and wondered if whatever matter that girl had dragged her away for had taken longer than she expected. Either way, he was only too happy to show others how the dragons could be trusted and trained. They seemed rather impressed by it, and Hiccup didn't miss Stoick's proud gaze. That, more than anything, made all this worth it.

The rest of the day was filled with discussion about what tribes he could visit to teach them about dragons. Unlike chiefing, it was a prospect that didn't make him nervous; dragons were his life, and he was entirely confident in his abilities in that area. Unless he visited an island full of Changewings and Whispering Deaths, he could train whatever dragons he was presented with. He was careful not to mention specific dates, however; he didn't want to end up in a commitment he couldn't uphold.

Camicazi didn't appear at all that day. He overheard some people who mentioned that she'd been busy taking care of someone from her tribe who'd come with her and was sick, so he could understand. She did show up the next day, though. Stoick had just told Hiccup that he was having lunch with an old friend, to catch up, and suggested he eat with the other heirs. Hiccup had been on his way to the market, where he knew they were, when all of a sudden a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hiccup", she grinned.

"Oh, hi" he smiled back. "How are things? Are they better?" Camicazi arched a questioning eyebrow. "The person who is sick", he clarified.

"Ah, Alfhild. Yes, she had a fever yesterday, and we spent most of the day trying to cool her down. But she's better now. I think the worst is over."

"I'm glad to hear that."

She nodded and looked around for a second, then smiled back at him. "How about you come and eat with us?" she asked.

"Us?"

"Yeah, there are a few others from my tribe with me. Don't worry about Alfhild, she'll be resting in another room. You won't get the illness."

"Sure. Let's go", he agreed. The last thing he wanted was to offend the heir of a tribe of burglars, after all.

So he followed her. He was surprised to find that her rooms were in a part of town rather far away from the centre, and nowhere near where he was staying with his father. He mentioned this to her.

"Yes", she said offhandedly, "the other chiefs would rather not sleep nearby us, with our reputation and all." She grinned.

She actually had an entire hall all to herself, as opposed to him, but it made sense; she'd brought more people with her, after all. He'd noticed that some chiefs, like his father, had only come with their heirs, while others seemed to have brought their entire councils with them. It seemed that the Bogs belonged to the second category.

Lunch was surprisingly pleasant. Camicazi had told her people about his abilities with the dragons, so they asked him plenty of questions that he had no problem answering. After eating, at their insistence, they went outside and, finding a secluded spot nearby the forest, he showed Toothless off (again. Seriously, his dragon's ego was going to be so bloated by the time they left). The other Bogs left soon, explaining they had some tasks to get to, but Camicazi stayed. They chatted about their lives in each of their islands, comparing their experiences, especially regarding the fact that they were both learning to be leaders. The blonde was fairly confident of herself and didn't seem to understand why Hiccup doubted himself so much.

Still, all in all, Hiccup enjoyed their conversation a lot. Eventually, she commented that they both should probably get back. Once again, she told him not to mention that they'd been alone, even though at first that hadn't been the case, and he agreed. They were getting close to the Great Hall when one of her tribespeople came: Alfhild's illness had worsened. She excused herself and hurriedly left. When his father asked him where he had been, he simply said that Toothless had been in a very sour mood, so he'd spent the afternoon with him to make up for it, but he planned to have dinner with the heirs. Stoick was appeased and didn't seem to suspect anything. Truth be told, Hiccup didn't understand why he and Camicazi couldn't simply talk in the Hall with everybody else. Maybe, as a part of a tribe of famous burglars, she liked the secrecy.

The next day, it occurred to him that maybe, now that most people were used to Toothless, he should take him for a ride; the dragon hadn't got to fly for three days now, and he was getting antsy. He asked for permission from Holger, who agreed with the idea, but recommended him to stay above the forest and away from the view of his villagers, to avoid causing a panic. Hiccup agreed and went to Toothless, who was ecstatic to fly again. So was Hiccup; all this exchanging pleasantries and negotiating and talking to people he barely knew was starting to become annoying. At least his father seemed pleased by how he was dealing with everything; had it been otherwise, he would've heard about it.

The only real reprieve he'd got, so far, were his conversations with Camicazi. A part of him wondered if she only showed so much interest in him because he'd tamed a dragon, but he reasoned that, if she just wanted a dragon of her own, he'd already offered to help, and not just her. So maybe she did like him, although a part of him found that very hard to believe. Then again, nobody here had been there for the first fifteen years of his life; they didn't know of the many times he'd messed up. Camicazi's perspective of him was probably different from his village. She knew him as someone who could train dragons and that was it; as far she knew, his only disadvantage was his smaller size.

It was almost as if he'd called her with his thoughts, because soon after they landed, they met with her just as they were leaving the forest.

"Hiccup", she grinned. "I was hoping to catch you here."

"How did you know where I was?"

"I heard Holger mention that he told you to go flying over the forest. I assumed that, when you got back, you'd come this way. I've only been waiting for a couple of minutes, though; don't worry."

Hiccup couldn't understand why she'd been waiting for him in the first place; if she wanted to talk to him, she could've done so at the Hall. He told her this, and she laughed in response.

"Really, I know that boys are dense, but come on now. Surely you know why."

"Uh, no, I don't. That's why I asked."

She smirked. "Well, then let me show you." And before he could ask what she meant, she grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling his face down to hers. Hiccup was too bewildered to react at first; her lips moved insistently against his, trying to get him to reciprocate, until finally he did. He kissed her back slowly, uncertainly; he'd only done this once, after all. Camicazi seemed satisfied and pulled back, smirking. He was too dazed to do anything but look at her in wonder.

"How was that?" she asked, entirely too pleased with herself.

"Uh... it was good."

"Just good?" Her smirk remained.

"Okay, better than good", he amended, still not sure of what was happening.

There was a short silence in which they just stared at each other.

"I have to go", she said at last. She took a few steps back. "How about we meet later? Tonight, the other heirs are meeting at the Stone Hall. Do you know where that is?" He nodded. "Good. See you then. Oh, and this time, you probably should tell your father the truth."

"The truth?"

She grinned. "Maybe not the whole truth just yet. But at least tell him where you're actually going."

"All right."

"Great. Goodbye, Hiccup." And without another word, she turned around and left.

Hiccup didn't know how long he stood there, staring into nothingness, before Toothless snorted and pushed him toward the village, warbling in a way that sounded like he was laughing. The boy started walking but otherwise ignored him, as his mind was still reeling. Did she actually like him in that way? He wasn't stupid, he knew there were girls to whom physical... _affection_ meant nothing, but she didn't seem one. Moreover, she was an heir; she couldn't go around randomly kissing men like that, not without repercussions. Still, a part of him protested that she couldn't possibly like him when they'd known each other for less than three days. Did _he_ like her? She was smart and funny, not to mention very pretty. He could make friends with her easily, but he really couldn't see past that. In the end, he decided to wait and see; if they were going to meet with the others tonight, she couldn't possibly do anything like that again. Maybe with some more time, everything would be clearer to him.

That night, after dinner, he told his father that Camicazi had invited him to join her and the other heirs.

"Camicazi?" Stoick asked curiously. "When did you meet her? I don't recall seeing you with her."

"Uhh..."

"You haven't been alone with her, have you?" His father's eyes were narrowed now. Hiccup had always been terrible at lying, and if he made something up, it'd be obvious. So he settled for a half-truth.

"I met her yesterday. After I came back from lunch. She, uh, invited me to speak with her and her people."

The chief's eyes cleared, and Hiccup held back a sigh. "Very well, then. Go, son. And make sure to be friendly. You want these people to be your allies."

"I know, Dad. I will."

While he walked towards the Stone Hall, he noticed that some of the heirs were talking by the entrance of a tavern. He was wondering if he should go to them, when he heard a female voice call his name. He saw Camicazi approaching from the side, smiling.

"Hey", she said. "Let's go."

"Aren't we going to wait for them?" he gestured towards the others.

She shook her head and grinned. "No, I have something to show you, and I'd rather they didn't know."

"Something to show me, huh?" That had been her phrasing this afternoon.

She laughed. "Not like that. Now come on."

He followed her to the entrance. They walked in to a medium-sized room with a few tables in it, as well as some cupboards. There didn't seem to be anything remarkable about this place, so he wondered what she was going to show him. Camicazi took something from one of the cupboards and gave it to him. It was a dagger, covered in some red liquid.

"Wait, is this blood?" he asked, horrified.

She laughed. "I just killed a boar with that thing. Impressive, huh?"

"A boar?"

"Yes, it's in the back room. Wait here, I have to make sure it's actually dead."

"But-" He wasn't given a chance to protest; she left before he could speak, closing the door behind her. Resigned, he waited, trying not to let the dagger in his hand stain everything. He heard some muffled noises, but he couldn't make out what they were. After a few minutes, he heard her voice through the door.

"There", she said. "Come to see."

What he saw when he stepped into the back room was definitely _not_ what he was expecting. Oh, there was a body on the floor all right, bloody and with stab wounds everywhere, but rather than an animal, it was a _human_. He recognised the person as Eric, the son of Holger.

"What?" he whispered. He didn't understand. The Bogs were burglars, not murderers.

The blonde laughed, and it was entirely different from how she'd done so until now. It was a cruel, cold laugh; nothing like the carefree sound he'd heard so far. He saw she was standing by a door partially hidden from view by a bookshelf. He stepped closer, careful to avoid the body.

"I'm sorry, sweetie", she smiled. "But business is business." Suddenly voices could be heard from the other side of the door. "Oh, will you look at that? You've got company. I've got to go. Goodbye." In a second, she dashed through the door, which apparently led outside. Hiccup didn't have time to think or do anything else, however, because at that moment the other door opened and Ake, one of the other heirs, stepped in.

For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. The boy stared down at the corpse of the Meathead heir like he didn't quite understand what he was seeing. Then his eyes went to Hiccup, to the dagger in his hand, and narrowed.

And even though he knew it would make things worse, even though it would make him look guiltier, Hiccup could only follow his instincts.

He opened the backdoor, which was now right next to him, and ran.

* * *

 **A/N: And now the fun begins... mwahaha (fun for me, at least. For Hiccup, not so much :P)**

 **I'm sorry if the chapter feels a little rushed, but I really wanted to get to this point (the ending). And if you're thinking that I butchered Camicazi's character... well, there are some clues as to what's _really_ going on here, but you'll find out next chapter.**

 **Finally, I wanted to say that, with regards to the next chapters, I'll be gone to a beach house from February 1st to the 15th, and I won't have Internet access unless I go to the phone office. Also, I have to start studying for an exam I've got on the 16th. All of this means that, although updates should still be on schedule, they might not, and I won't be able to reply to reviews.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Meet you all the way

Hiccup could hear the shouts of people behind him, as Ake roused the other Vikings to come after him. Luckily for him, the Stone Hall was on the edge of the village, and the forest started right behind it. Undoubtedly, this was the reason why Camicazi had picked it for her crime, as one could run straight into the trees and, given that it was already closed night, become practically invisible. Unfortunately, this also meant that he couldn't see well and often tripped on roots or hit branches face-first. It didn't take more than one frantic minute of running for him to realise that this wasn't going to work; his pursuers were getting closer. He had to become faster, somehow, but he couldn't exactly see in the darkness...

 _But Toothless can._

Of course! With the panic that had filled his mind, he'd forgotten that one crucial detail. His dragon would be able to guide himself in the dark better than him, and was faster, too. Not only that, but with his dark colour, he'd be impossible to see right now. He'd last left the Night Fury in the forest, which worked to his favour. He could only hope the dragon was close enough. Taking a deep breath, he let out the special dragon call that he'd perfected years ago, a cross between a growl and a howl. For a while longer he kept running, anxiously waiting for the response. Just when he was starting to lose hope, he heard Toothless' answering growl nearby. The people going after him quietened for a second, and then his Night Fury shot a plasma blast at their feet; it was a warning. They stopped completely, or so it sounded like, and Toothless took that chance to get to where Hiccup was waiting for him. The rider looked at his pursuers and noticed that one of them was readying what looked like a crossbow; if they took off, they'd make a clear target, he realised. They had to keep going through the forest. He quietly gave Toothless the command as he climbed, and the dragon bounded off into the darkness, much faster and more efficiently than Hiccup could've ever done.

Now that there was no one running after him, he could think more clearly. He had no doubt that they would come back, and get more people, perhaps even a few of the chiefs. He didn't even want to imagine his father's face when he learned of what he had supposedly done. He doubted Stoick would actually believe it, but it wouldn't matter; the proof against him was solid, and the others would back Holger up when they learned of the death of the man's son. He had no allies on the island; he needed to leave and go... where? Berk was the first place they'd look for him, so he couldn't go there, and in any case, he didn't fancy explaining the situation to the villagers. It dawned on him that he would become a wanted man; no matter where he went, somebody would be looking for him. The only way to get out of the situation was to show that he was innocent.

Evidently, this was easier said than done. He had no idea of where Camicazi had gone, but _someone_ had to know, maybe one of her tribespeople. In any case, running away clearly wasn't doing him any favours. He had to give himself in; that was the first conclusion. He'd run out of pure instinct, but his instinct had been wrong. He had to try and revert the situation, and quickly too.

"Toothless, stop. Let's go back."

His dragon came to a halt and warbled at him questioningly.

"This is just going to make it worse. Go back."

Toothless was understandably not convinced. Going back meant going to the people who had been after him; he couldn't hope to comprehend the complexity of the situation. However, his dragon was nothing if not loyal, and so he turned around.

Before he could take more than a few hesitant steps, though, a sudden squawk rang out in the quiet of the forest. The Night Fury stopped and looked around, sniffing. He let out a warble that was almost curious. The squawk sounded again and Toothless turned towards it, cooing. The squawk sounded very much like a Deadly Nadder, but why would Toothless seem so happy?

The answer came to him immediately, in the form of a voice he hadn't heard in more than a year.

"Hiccup?"

His heart stopped for a second, then resumed a much faster pace. No, it couldn't be. How could she possibly be here? How could she know to show up at such a desperate time? Then again, if there was someone who always seemed to know impossible things, that was Astrid Hofferson.

"Astrid?" he asked. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is", she replied, and he could hear the smirk in her voice. "Who else would it be?"

"But... how-"

"Later", she cut him off, her voice suddenly urgent. "Right now, we need to get you out of here before they find you."

"You know what's going on?"

"I heard that apparently you'd killed someone. I didn't believe it for a second, but of course the people here will, and that's bad news for you. So I knew I had to find you. Fortunately, Stormfly is faster and better at tracking than any Viking."

"You were here?"

"Hiccup, please. I promise I'll tell you everything later. We really need to go."

"But..." His previous reasoning came to mind. "It's going to be worse. It'll be like confirming that I'm guilty."

She sighed, and he heard a shuffling noise that indicated Stormfly had come closer. He squinted, but the darkness was nearly impenetrable and he could only make out vague figures.

"Hiccup", she said in a softer voice. "I know this must be confusing and terrifying for you. You've no idea how to react. However, _I_ do. I have quite a bit of experience in these things, you know."

He managed a brief smile. "But were you ever accused of something you didn't do?"

"Obviously", she replied flippantly. "And I know more about what's actually going on than you, or at least I think I do. So please, believe me when I tell you, _we have to go_."

Hiccup looked back at where he knew the village was. His instinct, the one that had told him to run in the first place, agreed with Astrid, but... his brain insisted that it was wrong.

"Hiccup", she spoke again. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes", he replied without a second thought.

"Then trust me on this. It's the only way."

His mind reluctantly conceded that, so far, she'd always protected him, and there was no reason to believe this time would be any different. And if she knew what was going on...

"Fine", he conceded, a sense of dread coming over him. It was the sensible choice, but that didn't make it any easier. Going with her would make him a fugitive, since word of his supposed misdeed would spread quickly. He'd have to give up his home, at least temporarily, and everything he ever knew. The only one who'd still stand by him was Toothless.

As though he could feel his rider's distress, the dragon warbled encouragingly. Hiccup smiled and patted him gratefully. There was nothing, he decided, he couldn't face, as long as he had Toothless by his side.

"Good", Astrid said. "Let's get going."

Hiccup set his dragon's tailfin into position, but when she heard the click, she spoke again.

"No, Hiccup. We'll keep going through the forest. That way, we can remain hidden. If we fly, there's a chance we might be seen, especially Stormfly and me."

"Okay." As the dragons started trotting, he added, "But we'll go slower."

"We're still faster than a group of Vikings on feet. If we fly, the people on the other side of the island might try to shoot us down. We're surrounded by unfriendlies right now, I'm afraid. Our first priority is getting out of here, unseen if possible. Plus, you were running before I ran into you, remember?"

"Well, yeah. But that was more of a panic-induced reaction than anything. I didn't quite know what I was doing."

"Well, it was very sensible of you, in any case."

They advanced for what seemed like ages; Hiccup thought he could hear the screams of more Vikings, and they made him feel on edge, even if they were too far away and he felt much better being with Astrid. She knew what she was doing. Still, now that he'd agreed to come with her, she might be open to answering a few questions.

"So why couldn't I give myself up?" he asked, more to reassure himself he'd made the right choice than anything.

"Well, you supposedly killed the heir to the throne. I can't imagine Holger is very happy with you right now. And since he's the chief of the place, people will sympathise with him. So what do you think could've happened if you were thrown in jail, especially given that everyone is convinced you did it?"

His previous doubts vanished when he understood her point. He hadn't considered that, but she was right. "One of the guards might've slipped poison in my food", he murmured.

"Or a knife between your ribs. Or just forego food altogether. Either way, you wouldn't have been safe in that prison, which is why we have to go."

He rubbed his face. "Why is this happening?"

"Like I said, I have a theory. Once we're away from here, I'll tell you. Right now, we need to focus on getting away undetected."

They continued for a while longer, the cries of Vikings multiplying and, it seemed, getting closer. (Then again, that could've been his paranoia.)

"We're near the beach", Astrid commented. "When we reach the end of the forest, stick to the shadows and follow my lead."

Just a few minutes later, a line of light could be visible far ahead. Dismay filled him as he realised that night was ending, and so was the protection that the darkness lent to them.

"Almost there", the blonde whispered. "See how a small line of trees continues over there? We'll go that way."

When they reached the edge of the forest, he could see people not far, going about. Silently, they made for the darkened line of trees, but it wasn't enough. A woman looked up and spotted them.

"Dragons!" she cried.

"Crap!" Astrid cursed. "Take off, now!"

As the dragons started gaining altitude, the people below gathered, readying crossbows and bolas, which they soon began throwing. While they avoided the attack, Hiccup clearly heard someone say, "That's Astrid Hofferson!"

He didn't worry too much at first, but then he realised that his father would probably hear of it, and if they added the fact that he was running away... he wasn't going to be very happy. Oh well, he had other problems to deal with now, such as avoiding any nets. Fortunately, Toothless –and, it seemed, Stormfly- was pretty experienced with this, and so they were able to leave the island without being caught.

It wasn't until the island became a small speck that it occurred to him to ask where they were going.

"Safe island I know", Astrid replied. He'd only now noticed that she was wearing a brown hood over her head, hiding her face from view. "Uninhabited, and far enough for us to be able to spend some time before we have to worry about being found."

"Spend time doing what?"

"I promised I'd tell you what I think is going on, remember? Also, you need to sleep. And I need to put some things in order."

"You need to sleep, too", he pointed out.

She just shrugged. "Eh, I'm used to going on little sleep. Once we reach my camp, I can rest, but I want you to be as safe as possible before that."

They continued in silence for about an hour, until they reached their destination: a small island, completely covered in trees. They'd be invisible from sea. Toothless followed Stormfly as she landed in a clearing that had obviously been used before; some stones marked a spot for a campfire. Astrid jumped from her dragon and pulled her hood down, and despite himself, he couldn't help thinking that she looked even more beautiful than before. Her face seemed to have changed slightly since the last time he'd seen her, and although he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, it certainly worked for her.

"Okay", she said. "First of all, food."

"I've got some fish in my saddle", he replied, quickly snapping out of his... whatever it was.

"Very well. Let's make a fire then."

They collected wood and Stormfly lit it up. Hiccup wanted to start asking questions, but he knew that, if she'd promised to tell him, she would. And in any case, he was pretty hungry too.

They ate in silence. Astrid's eyes looked far away, as though she was deep in thought. She probably was; making a plan to get him out of his situation, hopefully. Finally, their plates were clear.

"All right, so I guess you want to know what's going on", she started.

"I do."

"I'll start at the beginning, then." And so she told him of how she'd been looking for one of her men when she stumbled upon the dragon hunters and their leader, Viggo Grimborn. Rage filled him when he heard of the nature of their business. How could anyone do that to those amazing creatures? Drago treated the dragons as slaves, and this Viggo just considered them livestock, no more than yaks, apparently.

She went on to tell him about the deal of peace he'd proposed, and how he wanted the Dragon Eye, which she'd stolen by chance. She'd refused, and so far there had been a few skirmishes between her people and his, but nothing else.

"However", she continued, "I could see that Grimborn was cunning, and he wasn't going to give up. He was trying to find something to negotiate with, I knew."

When she didn't immediately continue, he asked, "And was that something me?"

She sighed. "I guess so. I honestly have no idea of how he found out about our... deal, though. I made sure that as few people as possible knew."

"Do you think it's possible it was someone from your crew?"

She shook her head. "The only one who really knows... how much I've done to protect you, is Heather. The rest of them may have seen us working together, but that's it. And I know Heather would never betray me."

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully. "The same goes for Berk. While everyone heard of the deal you proposed, only my father knows that I agreed. Well, and Fishlegs may remember that time I followed your instructions and ended up at a Berserker ship, but as far as he's aware it didn't go further than that."

"Someone else has to know, then", she insisted.

"I imagine you don't like the idea of a traitor, but couldn't someone from your people have guessed? I don't know, Eret?"

She scoffed. "Eret didn't even see us, he was too busy at the _Beast's Burden_ to..." She trailed off. "Oh, no."

He understood at the same time as her. "Shit. The people on that ship saw us a lot."

"And if you let some of them go..."

"Someone might've talked."

She nodded. "I don't know how they ended up talking to Viggo, but it doesn't matter. The problem is he found you."

"And how does all of this relate to what happened at Meathead Island? How does blaming me for murder help him get the dragon thing?"

She stared at him for a second. "Tell me everything that happened, from the beginning of the Thing."

He did, trying not to leave any detail out. When he got to the part where Camicazi kissed him, he shuddered. He hadn't had time to think about it, but now that he did, it was like he'd let a female version of Dagur kiss him, and it was very disturbing. He finished his account and waited for her verdict. She watched the fire for a few seconds before looking up at him.

"Okay", she said. "Here's what I get from your story. Number one: the woman you met was most certainly not Camicazi."

For a moment, it felt like his head was spinning. Not Camicazi? Then who was she?

He must've said this out loud, because she replied. "Someone in Viggo's pay, no doubt. Think about it: nobody really knew what Camicazi looked like, since she'd missed the meetings the previous year. The only one who really knew her, her own mother, had to leave because of an emergency. How incredibly convenient."

He couldn't wrap his head around what she was saying. "You think Viggo caused the emergency?"

She nodded. "It was a cleverly executed plan. You tell me there was a sick woman. Clearly, Viggo had someone working in whatever Hall the Bogs were actually staying in."

"Someone who could've slipped something in her food to make her sick whenever it was convenient", he realised. The more he understood, the worse his dread became. Just how much had this Viggo played him?

"Exactly. It was the perfect excuse to keep the real Camicazi busy, because it was valid. And meanwhile, this woman and some others stayed in another Hall, and one of them played sick if necessary. They made sure to always get you alone, and she had another perfect excuse as to why you shouldn't tell your father."

"And that way, I was none the wiser to the fact that I never actually met Camicazi. And since I told my father last night that I would be with her, when asked, she'll say that she didn't know me. Which makes it look like I just gave an excuse to slip away and murder Eric." He buried his face in his hands. This looked even worse than he thought. "How am I ever going to get out of this?" Toothless warbled worriedly, seeing him like that, and bumped his snout against him.

"We need proof, and the proof is that woman. If we find her, and get her to confess to everything, we'll clear you."

He looked up from his hands incredulously. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"That woman is obviously staying somewhere with the hunters. I think Viggo is going to offer me the woman, and your freedom, in exchange for the Dragon Eye; that's how framing you helps him. And if that's the case, then he must keep her somewhere remote. We're going to have to penetrate his organisation, and it won't be easy."

"So you don't know."

"Hey, give me a break. I've known the extent of his plan for all of two minutes." She smiled. "I'll figure something out, I promise. In the meantime, you should sleep. I'll keep watch."

He wanted to argue more, but the sleepless night was starting to take its toll on him. "Very well", he agreed. Thankfully, he had his skins in Toothless' saddle. He took them and spread them under a tree.

"Good night, Hiccup. Or good day." She chuckled. "Sleep well."

He probably wouldn't, but he chose not to mention it.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's the explanation for Camicazi's behaviour; not really Camicazi, hehe. Like I said previously, review replies will be delayed because I have to come to the phone office to steal wifi :P**

 **Finally, Hiccup and Astrid meet. I'd missed writing their interactions :D**


	6. Accusations

"… And I told him, 'no, that's not a yak'." Everyone laughed, and Holger struggled to calm himself down enough to continue. "Seriously, you all should have seen his face! I wish there had been someone there to paint it!" The man looked at Stoick and smiled. "Speaking of that, I've seen some of the paintings in your village. You have quite the artist there."

Stoick smiled. "Yes, we do. Ever since Bucket got hit by lightning, he became excellent at painting."

"Oh? How did that happen?"

Before Stoick could speak, however, the Great Hall's doors burst open and a man that he recognised as Ivar run in. He stopped next to their table, panting, and tried to speak, but he didn't have enough air.

"Spit it out, Ivar", Holger said in an irritated voice. "What's happened?"

"Your son", the man gasped. "He's... he's..."

The Meathead chief stood up immediately. "What? What happened to Eric? For Thor's sake, man, tell me!"

Ivar pointed at Stoick. "It was his son", he said, starting to get his breath back. "He did it."

Stoick stood up, too. "What are you saying that Hiccup did?"

Ivar glared at him, then looked at Holger and his expression turned sorrowful. "I'm sorry", he murmured. "He will be dining in the halls of Valhalla tonight."

Holger stood still for a moment, before turning to look at Stoick.

"There must be some confusion", he said immediately in answer to the other man's accusatory glare. "Hiccup would _never_ do something like that. He couldn't even kill a dragon, much less a person."

Holger was unmoved by his speech. "We'll see. Now, Ivar, where did Hiccup go?"

"That's the thing, sir. He was found with Eric's body by Ake, and before Ake could do anything, the boy ran into the forest. Ake and a few others ran after him, but his dragon, that Night Fury, attacked them and then ran away with the boy. They returned to inform us, so we can look for him."

"Organise a search party", Holger commanded, already walking towards the door. "Gather our soldiers and comb every inch of the forest. That boy is not getting off this island."

"But what if he already flew away?" one of the other chiefs asked.

Holger shook his head. "He didn't do it immediately, so he probably wants to remain hidden by staying on the ground. We have to catch him before he decides to change tactics. Let's go!"

"Holger", Stoick said, "my dragon, Skullcrasher, is a tracker by nature. He could-"

"No", the other man cut him off. "You stay here. Your judgement is obviously not impartial on this matter. Ivar, see that he doesn't leave." The soldier nodded. "Quick now, to the Stone Hall!"

The people who'd been sitting on the table soon got out, a couple of them glancing at him sideways as they left. Ivar stood by a column, watching him.

Sighing, Stoick settled back down into his chair. Just what was going on? There was no way that Hiccup, of all people, had murdered someone. His son had been able to offer Alvin a second chance, and he'd never tried to harm Dagur even though he had plenty of reason to. No, his Hiccup was innocent.

"What did you say that Ake saw?" he asked Ivar again.

"He walked into the Stone Hall and saw your son standing next to Eric's body. He had a bloodied dagger in his hand."

"Then he didn't see Hiccup do it", the chief said hopefully. Still, the evidence against him was very clear. How his son had ended up there, he didn't know. He'd said he'd be with Camicazi...

 _Of course!_

"Camicazi! Where is Camicazi?" he asked Ivar.

"Um, Ms. Camicazi is with the other heirs. They're helping out in the search."

Stoick suppressed a sigh of relief. She'd been with his son; she had to know what had really happened. She should be able to clear everything out. The only thing he could do, for now, was wait.

It was a long night. He was tired, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. He paced the Hall, hoping that the other chiefs would show up soon with some news. It wasn't until after dawn that a man with the same soldier uniform as Ivar came in and told him to follow him. He did, finding the other chiefs standing outside with grim faces.

"What happened?" he asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"We couldn't find the boy", Holger frowned. "Maybe the people on the other side of the island have found him. Either way, we'll-"

"You need to find Camicazi", Stoick interrupted him. "She knows-"

"What do I know?" a female voice asked. The chiefs parted to reveal their heirs standing behind them. Among them, a blonde girl was staring at him with her arms crossed. This must be Camicazi, he thought.

"You know what happened."

She raised her eyebrows. "And why would I know that? I was with the other heirs. I only know what Ake told us."

Stoick frowned, confused. "Hiccup said that you invited him to spend time with you, all of you, last night. That he met you two days ago, and you invited him to talk with your people."

Her eyebrows rose even higher. "Uh, I did not. In fact, we were all just talking about how we barely saw him these past few days."

Stoick didn't know what to think. "You didn't meet him?"

She shook her head. "Ask my tribespeople if you don't believe me. But no, I never saw him. The only time he got with the rest of us was when everyone had dinner together, and I was taking care of Alfhild, so I couldn't go."

"But..." He didn't know what to say. Had Hiccup been lying to him? Granted, it wouldn't be the first time, but... why would he make such a thing up? What had he been doing then?

His confusion was evident to the other chiefs, because Hoark, one of them, stepped closer to him, sorrow in his face, and placed his hand upon his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Stoick, but it seems your son was hiding things from you. Maybe he's not who you think he is."

"No", he shook his head. He refused to believe it. "No, it can't be. I don't know what he was doing or why he lied, but Hiccup isn't a killer."

"I know that you think that-"

"He's not!" Stoick exploded, and the people around him tensed. Some of them reached for their weapons, so he took a deep breath and tried to speak in a normal voice. "No, there has to be some other explanation."

Hoark raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Before Stoick could answer, though, someone came running towards them; yet another soldier, apparently.

"Sir! Sir!"

"What is it? Did you find him?" Holger asked, but the man shook his head.

"No, sir. The boy took off in his dragon on the other side; the fishermen couldn't catch him. Or his companion."

"Companion?" Holger and Stoick asked at the same time. Hoark gave the latter a look that said 'I told you so'.

"Yes, she was on a blue dragon. A Deadly Nadder, I think that's what they're called."

Stoick felt like his blood had just frozen. _No... It can't be..._

"A girl? Was she blond?" he blurted. Holger gave him a questioning glance. The soldier nodded.

"Yes, that's what they said. Blond, and very beautiful, according to them."

 _How?_

"Stoick?" Holger asked. "Who is she?"

The chief gave him a hard look. "Astrid Hofferson."

The other man scoffed. "You have to be kidding me."

"I wish."

Holger stared at him for a while, trying to gauge his sincerity. At last, he said, "And why was she with your son?"

"I don't know", he replied, "but if there was a murder, she was the one who did it, no doubt. And someone with her skills probably has the ability to make someone else look guilty. In fact," he added as realisation hit him, "he was probably with her, those times he said he was with Camicazi. She must've tricked him somehow into following her."

"I agree that that woman has bewitched a lot of people, especially men, into supporting her", Holger said. "But again, why would she take an interest in your son?"

"Because she already has."

There was a stunned silence.

"What?" the Meathead chief asked at last.

"Yes, about a year ago or so, she just showed up at our island. Gave herself up without a struggle and said that she'd help us capture Dagur if she got to work with Hiccup."

"And did you accept that?" Holger asked, eyes narrowing.

"Of course not", he instantly lied. He'd decided a long time ago that, the less people who knew about that terrible deal, the better. Sure, in the end they'd captured Dagur, but the price... "But it shows that she was interested in him. I never learned why."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this is all Hofferson's doing. I don't know how she convinced my son to make himself the scapegoat, but I've no doubt that she did it. I might be able to talk some sense into him and convince him to give her up, however, if you'll let me-"

"No", Holger cut him off yet again. "Even if your theory is correct and Hofferson is responsible, you're too involved in all of this. You go back home, and we'll let you know if we find your son." Stoick didn't like the vengeful look in Holger's eyes. It was obvious the man didn't believe him. "As it is, we'll have to put a bounty on them. They will both be charged with murder, and high treason in the case of Hiccup." Stoick tried to protest, but Holger didn't let him. "We don't know what happened, Stoick, and you can't deny the evidence. We'll give your son a fair trial, I can promise you that."

The chief doubted that would happen, but he couldn't say anything.

"Very well. I'll be leaving immediately, then." And without another word, he turned around and went towards the forest where he knew Skullcrasher was. The dragon sensed his mood, clearly, for he growled questioningly.

"Let's go home, big boy", he said, climbing onto him. As Meathead Island grew further away, he mulled over everything that had happened. He knew that Hofferson was responsible. And maybe Skullcrusher and the other tracking dragons didn't know her smell, but they knew Hiccup's. He'd get home, and then he'd put together his own search party. All they had to do was steer clear of the other chiefs. He needed to get to his son before they did, or he might never see Hiccup again at all.

And he didn't think he could take that.

* * *

"So where are we going now?" Hiccup asked. He'd woken up after nightfall and felt in a good mood for a moment... until he'd remembered his situation. They'd left the island as soon as they'd eaten something, and Astrid had barely spoken until now.

"We're going to my camp", she replied. "I suspect that Viggo has sent some sort of message there. Plus, I want you to be safe. Nobody will find you there."

"But wouldn't Viggo expect you to take me there?"

"Of course, but he won't attack. He already made his move; there's nothing he can gain by harming you. It's not him that worries me."

"Then who is?"

"Everyone else", she replied flatly. "The murder took place at a moment where the stakes are very high. I've no doubt that Holger will have put a price on both our heads, and anyone who sees you will try to collect that bounty."

"My father wouldn't allow that", he said, horrified at the prospect.

"Unfortunately, I don't think he'll be allowed a say in the matter. They'll claim that he's only trying to protect you because you're his son, and dismiss his opinion. He probably won't be allowed to search for you, either."

"That won't stop him", he said determinedly. "He knows I'm innocent." Or so he hoped.

Astrid nodded. "I'm well aware, but I think he'll wait to at least get to Berk before he starts looking for you. In the meantime, we make sure no one unwanted finds you."

After a couple of hours, they finally arrived at her camp.

"Wait a second", she told him. Before he could ask why, Stormfly flew in a circle above the trees three times, and then backflipped. Hiccup was confused for a moment, until he understood this must be some kind of signal. Stormfly descended, and Toothless went after her. A few people watched them land, men and women of seemingly all origins and ages. Astrid climbed down from her dragon and Hiccup followed suit. A boy who couldn't be much older than thirteen stepped forward.

"Hofferson", he greeted. "While you were gone, a Terror arrived with a message. It seemed important."

Astrid raised her eyebrows at Hiccup, then turned back to the boy. "Very well, Einar. I assume you left the message in my tent?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. In that case, please take care of Stormfly and Toothless." Einar blinked, and it seemed that he'd only now noticed the presence of the Night Fury. The boy stepped closer, and Toothless warbled curiously.

"Is he yours?" he asked Hiccup.

The rider nodded. "You can touch him. He won't hurt you."

"I know that", Einar said, and to his surprise, held his hand in front of him. After a few seconds, Toothless bumped his head against the boy's hand.

"Amazing", Einar commented. Then he grinned. "I hope you're hungry, both of you. We just got a new lot from the fishermen. Come." He walked away, and the dragons followed him after getting encouraging nods from their riders, both of whom left for Astrid's tent. Hiccup noticed that, while the people around him looked at him with curiosity, not one of them asked Astrid who he was. Clearly, they wouldn't intrude on her private matters. The level of respect that she seemed to inspire in her people was astonishing. They all looked at her with a sort of reverence he had never seen directed at a person before.

"So, who was that?" he asked her.

She smiled. "Einar? He takes care of the dragons. You'll like him. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's loyal. That's what matters."

"How did he...?"

"Come to be here? Funny story, actually. His mother used to work for me, but she got killed in one of her missions. As a result, he despised me, and when I offered him to take her job, he refused and joined a pirate crew instead. The problem was, he was only a ten-year-old boy. You can imagine the pirates didn't exactly treat him well. Anyway, after a year he'd had enough and came back to me, thinking that he'd lost his chance. Of course, I took him right in."

"'Of course'? I don't think it's that clear."

"Like I said, it's all about loyalty. He knew he'd get better treatment from me than he'd ever get from anyone; he'd seen it in his own mother. After all the abuse he'd endured, anything was better, and he was grateful to me for accepting him. That gratitude means that he won't betray me, and that's exactly what I look for in my employees."

"They all seem to respect you a great deal."

She grinned. "You sound impressed."

"I am. I've never seen such a thing."

"Well, that's because most people with a crew the size of mine enforce their leadership through fear. Viggo and Dagur are good examples of this. However, I've personally found that showing your people you care about them is what really makes them loyal to you. A man who fears you will obey you; a man who loves you will die for you. Although 'love' might be too strong a word. Anyway, here we are." The only difference between her tent and the others was that hers had a guard posted at the entrance. The man nodded at them and stepped aside. Inside, the tent didn't contain anything special; a bed, a desk with a chair on each side, and a cupboard. She picked the only parchment on the desk and unrolled it.

"So?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, it's from Viggo. Like I expected, he says he'll give you your freedom if I give him the Dragon Eye. Speaking of which, I want you to see it. Dragons are your area; maybe you'll see something that I missed." She kneeled in front of her bed and retrieved something from underneath it. She brought it to him.

"This is the reason for all this trouble, apparently."

It didn't look like much; a cylinder with one end shaped like an open-mouthed dragon, and lots of strange symbols on its side. He twisted it and noticed that it was formed by several smaller pieces.

"What are these symbols?" he asked. Astrid shrugged.

"Some of them are on Viggo's ships. No idea what they mean, though."

He continued to inspect it until he noticed three holes, each smaller than the previous, close to one of the ends. He took a closer look. The holes were merged together in a strange shape, but one that seemed familiar.

"This is a keyhole", he realised. Astrid nodded.

"Yes, I thought the same, but that would be a strange key, don't you think?"

He continued to look at the markings, for he was sure he'd seen that exact shape somewhere, but where? He forced his memory, and all of a sudden it came to him. Of course. Gothi's arm.

"Actually, that's not a key. That's a dragon's tooth. Specifically, a Snow Wraith tooth."

* * *

 **A/N: The next update will be delayed a bit, but still in schedule, since I have my exam and RTTE premieres this week. Short note because it's raining right now and I don't want to fry my laptop D:**


	7. Astrid's camp

**A/N: The only reason this chapter is up so soon after the new season is because I ended up writing most of it on Tuesday, so it was mostly editing.**

 ***SPOILERS FOR RTTE S4* Because I'm fangirling about Hiccstrid so hard right now, I have rewatched Blindsided and the other kisses a couple of times and haven't stopped, lol. Also, I think I might have made Viggo way smarter here than in canon. Oh well.**

 ***END OF SPOILERS***

* * *

"Snow Wraith?" Astrid asked.

"I don't really know much about it", he confessed. "I only recognised the mark because Gothi, our village elder, has a mark with that shape on her arm. I asked Gobber about it once, and he told me that she was attacked by that dragon and doesn't like to talk about it. If we could sneak back to Berk, maybe, I could try to get her to-"

"No need", Astrid interrupted him. "I know a woman who seems to know about every dragon species ever. We can go to her. If someone from your village has seen this dragon, then so has she, and I bet she knows where it came from."

"Okay. So, uh, do we leave tomorrow, then?"

"Well, I guess. We could leave sooner, though. Maybe tonight-"

"No", he cut her off. "You need to sleep. How long have you been awake now?"

She shrugged. "I've been awake longer."

"That doesn't make it better." He smiled. "I'd feel much safer being with someone who I know has got some rest, than with someone who I'm afraid might drop from her dragon in exhaustion."

She huffed, but there was a smile in her lips, too. "Learning the manipulation game, are we?"

"Hey, I'm going to have to spend a while with you. That seems like one of the basics."

She laughed. "Very well, I'll give in this time. I'll go to sleep, and we leave tomorrow at first light. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to tend to. In the meantime, you can go see Toothless."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Well, I was going to invite you to dinner, but now that I actually have to sleep, thanks to somebody", she mockingly glared at him, "I don't have the time. You can probably eat with Einar. I think you'll like him. He's grown to love dragons almost as much as you do."

"Okay."

Following her instructions, he left her tent and went to the stables. Toothless was busy sticking as much fish into his mouth as he could, but the moment he saw him, he bounded over to him. Hiccup grinned.

"Hey, bud."

"Wow", Einar said, stepping out from behind a crate. "He really likes you."

Hiccup found this comment strange. "Well, I'm his rider. It wouldn't work out if he didn't." Surely Einar had seen Astrid with Stormfly. There didn't seem to be a lack of love in that relationship.

"Yes, I know, but what I mean is... Stormfly gets excited when Hofferson comes to see her, but even her reaction doesn't compare to your dragon's. It's like he just got back something that he was missing. I've never seen anything like it."

The auburn-haired boy smiled. "Well, I guess we _are_ pretty close. He's my best friend."

Einar's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Yes."

"What about... you know... _human_ friends?"

He sighed. "I got Toothless before I got any of those. I really don't feel like talking about it. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course. But you _have_ to tell me about your Night Fury. I've never seen one of these up close."

"Sure."

They spent the next few hours talking about dragons. Just like Astrid had predicted, they got on pretty well. He noticed that the boy held Astrid in very high esteem, even more so than the other people he'd seen. Considering what she'd told him, it made sense, he supposed. He probably saw her as something of a saviour; he seemed like the type. When time for dinner came, he followed Einar to a tent where a number of cooks were making a stew that was simple but without lacking anything essential. After they got their plates, they headed for a clear area besides the tent where plenty of people were sitting around, eating and talking. He thought he noticed someone walking towards the general direction of Astrid's tent with a plate, but he could've been wrong. Once again, the others looked at him but nobody asked who he was.

After dinner, they went to the stables to get Toothless, but were interrupted by the arrival of a Monstrous Nightmare. Einar ran to it, and from the dragon dropped none other than Eret, the man who'd been with him and Astrid on Drago's ship. Needless to say, he was pretty surprised. It appeared that his boss' example had encouraged him. At any rate, it was always a positive thing to see more dragon riders. The man greeted Einar and squinted at him for a few seconds before recognising him.

"Haddock!" he exclaimed. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Eret", he replied a bit unsurely.

"What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uh..." He didn't think Astrid had explained the situation to anyone, and he didn't know if it was such a wise idea to do so. Fortunately, Einar, who'd been giving something to Eret's dragon, stepped in.

"He's on business with Hofferson."

"I see. Hey, what's that you're giving Firestrike?"

"Just some dragon nip so he doesn't set the stable on fire. In case you haven't noticed, your dragon is kind of... temperamental."

Eret chuckled. "That he is. Well, see you around, Haddock." He nodded at Hiccup and left.

The rider followed Einar to the stables and helped him take care of Firestrike, after which the boy took him to a tent that was free and told him to call him if he needed anything. "My tent is right by the stables", he added. Hiccup thanked him and lay down on the skins set on the floor, finding them to be surprisingly comfortable.

So Eret had a dragon, too. Interesting. However, going by the size of the stables, he doubted there were many dragons around. Maybe Heather had one?

Heather. Now that he thought about her, he hadn't seen her around, which was very strange. From what he'd seen before, she and Astrid were inseparable. Then again, the woman did work for the blonde. Maybe she was off on some kind of mission? He could ask Astrid tomorrow, he decided. For now, he had to sleep and try not to think of what lay ahead.

* * *

The next morning, he was woken up by Einar.

"Hofferson is waiting for you by the cooks' tent. I'll give breakfast to Toothless if you want."

"I'd appreciate that, thanks."

He went to the tent and found Astrid. The dark circles around her eyes seemed to have cleared.

"Morning", she greeted.

"Morning. I see you got some sleep."

She chuckled. "Yes, father", she said, rolling her eyes. "Now, let's have breakfast. We'd better leave before everyone wakes up."

"Is what we're doing a secret?" he asked as he followed her inside.

"I guess it is in the sense that nobody knows what we're doing. However, being seen isn't what worries me. It's moving day."

"What do you mean, 'moving day'?"

"Once a month," she explained as the cook put fruit and some bread onto her plate, "we change the camp's location. As you can imagine, it's a long process, and everyone will be going around, making last-minute preparations. We've got it down, but moving so many people is still a bit of a mess. I'd rather we left before that."

"Oh." As they sat down to eat, he asked, "And do you have to move so frequently? I get that you don't want to be found, but I bet this place is well defended."

"You can never be too careful", she shrugged. "Plus, with the extra threat of Viggo, I'd rather not stay in one place for long. I don't want to give him the chance to try something."

"I see." They ate in silence for some time, until he remembered his other question. "Where is Heather?"

Astrid sighed. "Where indeed."

"What?"

"She was off on a mission for me, but she should've returned a week ago. Sometimes she takes longer, if she encounters problems, but it's never been this long."

"I'm sorry. Should we try to find her?"

"I will, but right now we've got other things to take care of. I'm going to have to ask someone else to track her. Probably Eret, even if his dragon isn't a tracker by nature. I would've taken care of this earlier, but with the Thing, I had plenty to worry about."

"What do you mean, 'with the Thing'? Did you go to do something?"

"You mean something other than looking after you?"

"You went there specifically because of me?"

"Well, duh. I don't understand why you're so surprised." She got up. "Come on, let's hurry."

As he went after her, he kept on talking. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you were there. I just... I don't know...Since I never saw you in all this time, I guess I just assumed you were away."

"While you were on Berk, that was true. I had people to watch you." She paused to give the cook her empty plate; Hiccup followed suit and they left. Only once they were out of earshot did she continue. "But in Meathead, with all those people from all over the archipelago... it was going to be much more difficult, so I decided to go myself, along with some of my men. Nobody would notice any of us among the crowd."

"So you weren't inside", he said as they arrived at her tent, where she picked up a couple of bags. They started walking towards the stables.

"No, I didn't think it would be necessary. The Thing is supposed to be peaceful, so I doubted anyone would try to attack while in there. And if they did, your father would protect you."

When they arrived, their dragons greeted them enthusiastically. Hiccup watched Astrid pack her belongings (his had never been removed from the saddle) and mulled over what she'd said.

"If you weren't with the other people, or the other heirs, how did you find out about what happened so quickly?"

"Luckily for you and me, the Meatheads have extremely loose tongues. As soon as they returned from trying to capture you, they all ran around telling everyone what had happened. Word of it reached my men quickly, and they sent me a Terror. We have some special ones trained specifically for... sprinting, as we call it. Short distance messages at the most speed possible." She patted her saddle and looked at Toothless. "I guess _you_ don't have anything else to pack." He shook his head. "What do you carry in his saddle anyway?"

"Spares for my leg and his tail, Inferno, and some food. I think I have a spyglass too."

She nodded. "In that case, I think we're ready. Let's go."

The dragons took off from the camp that was just starting to come to life; some people noticed them and waved. Astrid waved back, so Hiccup did, too, even if he felt a bit stupid doing it. They flew in peaceful silence for a while.

"So who is this woman?" he decided to finally ask.

"I don't really know", Astrid admitted. "She's not super friendly with me."

"Let me guess, she doesn't like your methods."

She grinned at him. "Like you?" She shook her head. "But no, it's not that. I don't think she even knows who I am. What I do."

"Then what is it?" He had no trouble admitting that, if Astrid wasn't a criminal, she'd be a great person. He'd make friends with her easily. (As it was, he _had_ made friends with her, eventually.)

"I don't think she likes _people_ , period. She prefers dragons."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, she lives in a remote island, far, far away, with a bunch of dragons of all sorts there. _Only_ dragons. Nobody else. I think she considers those dragons her family. It's all she talks about anyway."

"And how did you meet her?"

"I was out on Stormfly when I encountered a small dragon hunter ship. I was going to take it down, but no sooner had I made the first shot than another dragon came and started attacking too. Once the ship was destroyed, the dragon, which was a strange, four-winged thing, came closer, and to my surprise he had a rider. The rider was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see her face, but she made a gesture with this staff she had. Before I knew what was happening, another dragon came out of nowhere and picked me up from Stormfly, carrying me away. They brought us all the way to the island we're going to now, and there were more dragons than I'd ever seen. At first, she didn't do anything, just stared at me. Then she stepped closer. _Too_ close. Like she'd forgotten all notion of personal space. Eventually I asked her who she was, and after some more staring, she took off her mask. She told me what she'd been doing and asked about Stormfly. I told her, and after I reassured her I meant the dragons no harm, she sort of welcomed me."

"Sort of?"

She shrugged. "I don't know how long she's been helping dragons, but I think she's spent so much time alone with them, she's forgotten how to act human, you know? She gave me some food, and told me she'd kill me if I revealed the location of the island to anyone. I don't think she realised she was threatening me. Anyway, we talked some more and I agreed to bring her any dragons that I thought needed help. She has plenty of information on dragons. So if anyone knows anything about this Snow Wraith, that's her."

Hiccup considered all of this for a while. "So there are other dragon riders."

Astrid nodded, smiling. "Yup. Apparently we're not the only ones."

He pondered who this mysterious woman could be, and decided that, if she could help them, it really didn't matter. In any case, he'd find out soon.

The sun was starting to lower on the horizon when Astrid pointed at an island and announced they'd arrived. As they landed, a bunch of dragons of all kinds came to greet them, everything from small Terrible Terrors to large Monstrous Nightmares, including dragons that didn't live on Berk, like Hobblegrunts and Scuttleclaws. Many of them went up to Toothless and tried to get him to play, but his Night Fury didn't seem comfortable with the situation, and growled at one of them when they got too close. Stormfly, on the other hand, clearly was familiar with the dragons, for she immediately ran off chasing after another of her kind.

"Do you know where she's going?" he asked Astrid, who was apparently too busy petting a Gronkle to notice her dragon's disappearance. She just shrugged.

"Stormfly comes and goes as she pleases. She likes to be with her kind." She looked up at Toothless. "I guess _he_ isn't used to it."

"Not a lot of Night Furies out there for him to interact with", he retorted.

Astrid nodded. "True. Let's go. Valka must already know that we're here."

They started down a path in the forest, dragons popping out of the trees and staring at them. A few of them tried to interact with Toothless, but the dragon didn't let them. Hiccup was surprised at how many there were. Astrid hadn't been exaggerating. After some minutes, they reached a stone rock with a cave. Before they could walk into it, a woman stepped out. She was tall, almost as much as him, with brown hair and sky-blue eyes. She wore a leather armour and her face looked weary.

"Astrid", she said sharply. "I thought I told you not to..." She trailed off when she noticed Toothless.

"Valka", the blonde greeted. "I've brought friends. This is Toothless. And this is his rider, Hiccup."

At the mention of his name, the strange woman stiffened and stared at him with an intensity that made him feel uncomfortable. She stepped forward until she was, like Astrid had said, _too_ close to him. The girl watched with amused eyes.

"Uh..." he mumbled. Valka was scrutinising his face for something, when her eyes fixated for a moment on a spot near his mouth. Whatever it was she saw, she drew back immediately and her eyes widened.

"Hiccup?" she asked.

The rider was confused. He glanced at Astrid, but she looked just as puzzled as he felt.

"Is it really you?" Valka continued. "After all these years?"

Now he was even more confused. "Uh... should I... should I know you?"

The woman's expression faltered. "No... you were only a babe."

 _What..._

"But a mother never forgets", she said softly.

* * *

 **A/N: For all those of you who asked about Valka in Burning. Here she is.**


	8. Mother

For an instant, what Valka was saying didn't fully register with him. It didn't make any sense. He heard a ragged gasp, but he didn't even realise it had come from him. How could it be...? How? His _mother_? Alive? A myriad of conflicting emotions assaulted him. Confusion. Surprise. Joy. Confusion again, because had she really been here this whole time?

He opened his mouth, not knowing which of the many questions he had he was going to ask first, but she didn't give him the chance.

"Shh", she shushed him. "Come." She turned to Astrid, who wasn't bothering to hide the surprised expression in her face. Probably the same one that Hiccup was wearing. The blonde nodded.

"Go", she said. "I'll take care of things here." She exchanged a look with him then, and she gave him a brief nod of encouragement. Valka walked away, and Hiccup followed her.

"How... how is this possible?" He finally asked one of the many things running through his head. "Everyone back at Berk thinks you were eaten by..." He trailed off. _Oh_. He'd never thought about it since he'd tamed Toothless, but of course. The dragons wouldn't have eaten her. So what had happened instead?

"I know", she said. "Come."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a private place of mine." She was walking rather fast, and it was hard for Hiccup to follow; his prosthetic and the floor full of hidden tree roots didn't help, although Toothless, who was behind him, gave him a nudge every now and then. Obviously _she_ was used to it; she moved in a sort of half-crouch, with a certain grace... almost like a dragon's. He guessed this was what Astrid was referring to when she said that Valka had forgotten some aspects of being a human. At last, they reached the edge of the forest. The cliff overlooked a river a few metres beneath them, where a large number of dragons were playing around. Not only was it a beautiful view, but also, he suspected, it was a perfect spot for keeping an eye on the place, as was evidenced by the stone with a flat surface that seemed like a stool. His suspicions were confirmed when she sat on the stone and looked down at the river, seemingly out of habit... before remembering he was there and lowering to the floor, motioning for him to do the same.

"What do you think?" she asked, gesturing to the scene below.

"It's... I don't have the words", he said truthfully. "So... _this_ is where you've been."

Her voice was careful. "Are you..." she paused. "Are you upset?"

"What? I... I don't know." Was he? It was hard; the shock of the revelation hadn't worn off completely yet, and he didn't think he knew how he felt about it. "It's a bit much to understand right now. It's not every day you find out your mother is some kind of... crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady."

Valka –his _mother_ ; how strange it was to use that word, even in his head- laughed. "Well, at least I'm not boring, am I?"

He sighed. "I guess not." He looked down again, and then at her. "Why did you bring me all the way here? I feel there's more than just showing me the place."

Her brow furrowed. "The girl. I don't fully trust her." She suddenly peered at him. "I hope that's not offensive."

"No offense taken", he replied easily. "She doesn't make it easy to trust her."

There was a pause. "But you do", she said.

He nodded. "Yes, because she's proven herself to me, several times. But to most people, she's not a reliable person."

"I see." She seemed uncomfortable.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Is she... you know... _with_ you?"

His face instantly felt like it'd been set on fire. Behind him, Toothless snorted, as if he could sense his rider's discomfort. "No. _Gods_. No. She's just... a friend, that's all."

"You don't sound very convinced."

"It's... complicated. We met under some very particular circumstances." He didn't want to go into details. He'd had enough opposition from his father; he didn't need to add his mother, too.

His _father_. He'd want to know that Valka was alive, too. This reminded him that he still had questions.

"So", he continued, "what happened twenty years ago? You know, when everyone thought you were killed."

His mother raised her eyebrows at his abrupt change in topic, but didn't comment. Her face grew sorrowful as she told him of how she'd been against violence and how she'd tried to protect him from a dragon but ended up being taken by it.

"You and your father nearly died that night, all because I couldn't kill a dragon."

Hiccup smiled dryly. "Well, it runs in the family." He proceeded to tell her how he'd found Toothless, while his mother petted the dragon, who revered in the attention. After he finished recounting waking up to his changed home, they were silent for some time.

"How did you survive when that dragon took you?" he asked. Almost as if he'd heard him, a four-winged dragon landed on their clearing. This must be the one that Astrid had mentioned, he realised.

"Cloudjumper never meant me any harm", his mother explained, while the dragon in question examined Hiccup, twisting his head in a very peculiar way. "He took me to his nest, and for a while I lived with him and other dragons. Eventually I decided that I should protect as many as I could, so we found a larger island and began scouting. And now here we are." She extended her arms to encompass the whole place. "And why are you and Astrid here?"

Hiccup sighed. How to explain it? "Well..."

A squawk interrupted him; Stormfly was flying towards them. She landed, and Astrid jumped off her back.

"Valka, I don't mean to stop this family reunion, but we really need your help."

* * *

Astrid stared at the moon and sighed; they'd been gone for a while now. Of course, she didn't blame them. Hiccup had just discovered that he had a mother, who, if she recalled correctly, was believed to be dead, whereas Valka had found out she had a lot in common with her son. In the time Astrid had spent with her, the woman had never talked about her place of origin, but she'd suspected that she hadn't parted on good terms with her people. And seeing where she came from and how she defended the dragons, it seemed that her theory was at least partially correct.

However, they still needed her help. They had to figure out how to work with the Dragon Eye thing, and once they did, Astrid needed to come back to her people and get information on Viggo. She'd given Valka and Hiccup their time, but the circumstances didn't allow for more of it. So she called Stormfly, who'd been playing with the other Nadders, to her.

"Take me to them, girl", she prompted.

It didn't take long to find them at the observation post; neither of them had flown, it seemed. Cloudjumper had joined them, and her dragon squawked in greeting as she descended. Astrid climbed off, letting Stormfly go to the Stormcutter.

"Valka, I don't mean to stop this family reunion, but we really need your help."

The woman looked at her in a mildly suspicious way (nothing unusual there), while Hiccup seemed like he'd forgotten her presence and the reasons that had brought them here.

"Yes", he agreed. "We need to locate a dragon."

"Oh? Which dragon?"

"A Snow Wraith", Hiccup provided.

"A Snow Wraith?" Valka repeated. "Those live pretty far away, to the north. And they're not exactly friendly. Why would you want to locate one?"

Hiccup looked at Astrid, then, and she could read the question in his face. She'd already considered this on the way here; she didn't think Valka would trust them if they didn't explain their reasons to her. Although the fact that Hiccup was her son might make her more willing to cooperate, she was still suspicious of _her_. Astrid had decided that, seeing as the woman never met with other people, it wasn't like she could spill their secrets to anyone. And if they were trying to protect the dragons, Valka would help. So without doubt, she took the Dragon Eye from Stormfly's saddle and showed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked, inspecting it.

"That belongs to the Dragon Hunters." Valka looked up at her. "We don't know what it does, but we know it's important to their business. And they want it back. We're trying to figure out how it works. If you look over there", she pointed, "there's a hole." She nodded at Hiccup.

"A hole that matches a Snow Wraith's tooth", he continued. "It looks like a keyhole, so we're assuming that we can open it if we get the tooth. Once we do, we can know why they want this so desperately."

Valka stared at Hiccup. "So you've come across the hunters, too."

He blinked. "Uh... no, in fact, I haven't."

"I told him about them", Astrid intervened. "He wants to protect the dragons, too, so he agreed to help me." Obviously Valka didn't know the truth, and Astrid didn't blame Hiccup if he didn't want to tell her yet. He'd only just met her, after all. The rider smiled gratefully at her; so she'd guessed correctly, then.

The woman considered them, and the Eye, for a while. "Well, then", she said at last. "If you think this helps against them, I'll tell you. You need to go north, to where the first icy islands begin. They live in caves, and they're extremely aggressive, so you'll have to be careful."

"Very well", Astrid nodded. "In that case, we should leave tomorrow at first light. I don't fancy being in those frigid caves at night."

"No, that would be foolish indeed", Valka agreed. "I assume you will stay here for tonight, then?"

"If that's fine with you", Hiccup quickly added, which seemed unnecessary to Astrid. He was her son; obviously she'd let him stay.

"Of course", the woman said. "I don't have beds, but-"

"We have furs with us", Astrid mentioned. "We just need a cave or something."

Valka hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are a lot in this island. Just a few metres over there-" she pointed "you can find one that the dragons haven't claimed yet. It's big enough for two."

Astrid guessed that the woman's hesitation had to do with whether she wanted them to sleep next to her or not. It made sense; she didn't know them, even if one of them was her son, and she was used to mistrusting humans. Old habits die hard, after all.

Once that was settled, she again left Hiccup and his mother to talk; they had to catch up on a lot of things, after all. Being idle at such an urgent time made her fidgety, so she found a quiet spot and began thinking of the steps that needed to be taken to bring Grimborn down.

Dinner was pleasant enough. The fish that Valka had prepared were a bit undercooked, another consequence of living with dragons for so long, Astrid guessed. However, neither she nor Hiccup were going to make a fuss about it. Mother and son chatted amicably about dragons, while she continued to stay out of the conversation for the most part, only adding a comment when Hiccup prompted her to do so.

After dinner, they each went their separate ways. There was a moment of awkwardness when Valka moved towards her son but stopped immediately with a confused expression. Astrid guessed what the woman wanted and, looking at Toothless, motioned towards Hiccup with her head. The Night Fury must've understood the situation too, because he didn't hesitate in shoving his rider towards his mother. Despite their surprised expressions, they eventually brought their arms around each other, holding each other in an embrace that was twenty years too late. Astrid smiled and winked at Toothless, who warbled at her.

"Goodnight, Hiccup" Valka said in the warmest tone she'd ever heard her use.

"Goodnight, Mum", he replied. His mother turned to Astrid.

"Goodnight, Astrid." The girl was surprised; Valka had never been very friendly with her, and she suspected that the change was related to Hiccup. She responded in kind and they parted ways. While they walked towards the cave (their dragons were going to sleep with the others), she was silent, allowing Hiccup to remain in his reverie. Eventually, she noticed he was looking at her from the corner of his eye, and she turned to face him.

"What?" she asked.

He smiled. "You're uncharacteristically quiet."

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying I talk too much?" she asked in mock offense.

He laughed. "No, but normally you would've said something by now."

She shrugged. "I figured you had a lot to think about. I didn't want to interrupt you."

"Oh. That's... very thoughtful."

"Of course. What else did you expect?" She grinned, but didn't add anything else. They continued on in silence to the cave, where they took their furs and set down for the night. Astrid could hear Hiccup tossing and turning; he must have a lot on his mind. After a while of this, she turned to him in the darkness.

"Hiccup?"

"Mmm?"

"Can't sleep?"

He sighed. "No", he admitted.

She hesitated. This might be fruitless, but... "Do you want to talk about it?"

* * *

 **A/N: While this meeting is mostly based on the movie, I did change it a bit. Valka seems very suspicious of people in general, after all, and I always felt that Hiccup forgave her way too easily.**

 **Sorry that not much is happening in this chapter. I actually started the conversation between Astrid and Hiccup, but it was getting very long and I didn't want to split it, so I decided to leave it for the next one. Hiccup will learn some things about Astrid's past ;)**

 **Also, this week, unfortunately, the term starts again, so while I'll probably manage to keep the schedule, updates will likely take at least a week.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	9. Father

"I don't know if there's a lot to talk about", Hiccup replied. Astrid heard him shuffle and guessed he had turned towards her.

"Remember when I told you that it's not good to keep stuff bottled up?"

"Well, yeah, but that was a lot worse."

"Doesn't mean you should keep this to yourself. I won't pry, if you don't want me to."

He sighed. "Fine", he said, and she heard him get up. She followed suit and they walked outside. Below them, at the river, a few torches were set, so they could see. A couple of dragons, clearly nocturnal in habit, were running around. The dimly illuminated scene seemed almost unreal. Hiccup sat down at the edge of the cliff, looking at the view. Astrid didn't say anything as she sat next to him and waited for him to speak.

"I don't know", he said at last.

"You don't know how you're feeling?" she guessed.

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Like... a big part of me is really happy, of course, because I thought I'd lost my mother. But there's another part of me that's wondering why she didn't come back in all this time. I'm trying to ignore that, but..."

"Hiccup, that's perfectly normal. Anyone in your position would wonder that."

"But I can see why she didn't come back", he insisted, gesturing at the scene below them. "Look at this. How could anyone not do anything in their power to protect the dragons, if they know how amazing they are?"

"You do it regularly", she replied quietly, "and you didn't leave because of it."

He looked uncomfortable at that. "I almost did."

"What?" This was something she didn't know; she knew Hiccup loved his home.

"When I was chosen to kill the Monstrous Nightmare, I almost left with Toothless. I knew I wouldn't be able to harm a dragon, and my father wouldn't understand, so..."

"And... what stopped you?"

"Toothless had already taken off, when I spotted this Terror trapped in a net. It was small, and scared. And I knew that, just like that Terror, there were hundreds that would be trapped and killed by the Berkians, as long as the fight continued. Toothless might be free, but the others wouldn't be. That's when I knew I had to stay and try to stop it all."

"Oh." She couldn't say anything else, but the idea that Hiccup had been torn enough to almost give up his only home seemed to squeeze her heart.

"Yeah. So I understand. But still... she couldn't have come back? Not even once? Or sent a message? You know, 'hey, I'm not dead'."

She nodded. "I can't tell you why she made the choices she did. Nor can I tell you how you're supposed to feel. But I guess that, eventually, you'll accept it." She smiled. "At least you have a mother, though", she added wistfully.

"Yeah..." He seemed to catch on to her tone, for he turned to her then. "Do you? Everyone talks about your father, but I've never heard of your mother."

Her lips curved upwards. "Obviously. I didn't appear out of thin air."

"Astrid."

She shrugged. "My mother died giving birth to me. I never knew her."

She _had_ done some digging, once she'd established her business. She'd uncovered a few facts: Tabitha, as she was called, had worked at a tavern, and the people who knew her said she was kind but firm, handling drunk customers with ease. Unfortunately, she had always had a sickly complexion, which had been her undoing when she had to give birth to Astrid. As far as she could tell, everyone was surprised by the pregnancy, since she wasn't a woman who slept around, and nobody knew who the father was. The man himself rarely spoke of her to Astrid, and all he'd ever said was how little she looked like her. "It's like you came straight from me", he'd told her.

"Oh." Hiccup looked down. "Sorry."

"It's fine. You can't miss what you've never had." Not that she hadn't wondered, when she was a little girl, what it would be like to have a mother. Especially whenever she visited Birger and got to witness first-hand the interactions between him and his (whole) family.

"Well, you could say that of me, too. But I had a father who cared. Even though he didn't show it very well..."

For the first time since she'd met him, Astrid felt anger grow inside her, anger directed at Hiccup. She should've known, of course. He made the same assumption as everybody else.

"Listen to me, Hiccup Haddock", she growled, and he looked at her with wide eyes, alarmed at her change in demeanour, "you _didn't_ know my father. Don't _presume_ to have any idea of what kind of man he was. You may think that you do, but you have no right to-"

"Whoa!" he stopped her, waving his arms around. "Okay, okay. I get it. You don't need to get so worked up over it."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, willing herself to calm down. "Sorry", she mumbled. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just..."

"Just what?" he prodded.

" _Everybody_ assumes that he was a bad father because of... his job. And I'm so sick of it."

There was a pause, and she knew that Hiccup was trying to understand how an assassin could ever be fatherly. But if there was anyone who would believe her, she decided, it was him. He always seemed to see the good in everyone.

"So... how did that work?" he asked tentatively.

"How did what work?" she replied, knowing full well what he meant.

"If your father was an assassin, how did he care for you? Wasn't that dangerous?"

Only Heather knew the story. However, she trusted Hiccup, and she knew he wouldn't tell if she asked him not to. "Well", she started, looking down at the dragons, "when he first found me, he secretly took me from the woman who was taking care of me. He hired wet nurses at first, ordering them to keep quiet about their jobs, and firing them after a few weeks. That way, none of them could catch on to what was really happening. While I was still breast-feeding, I stayed with them whenever my father had... an assignment. Once that stage was over, though, he didn't hire anyone else, and from that moment on it was just him and me."

"And what happened with his job?"

"My father was always careful; it's how he was able to survive. We never stayed in one place for long, and whenever he had to work, he would leave me somewhere close to him. When I grew a bit older, he brought me with him. Sometimes..." she paused, knowing what she'd say next would shock Hiccup. "Sometimes he'd use me to lure his targets to where he was."

She looked up and, sure enough, his expression was horrified.

"He _used_ you?"

She shrugged. "He did it when he knew that the objective wouldn't harm a child. I'd ask the person if they could help me find my father. They did, and..."

Hiccup shuddered. "So wait, you were _there_? While your father _killed_ someone?"

"No, of course not. I was long gone by the time the target confronted him. He made sure that I never saw anything..." She gave a bitter smile. "Until one day, when I got out of my hiding place sooner than I was supposed to, and I saw him dragging the corpse... He noticed me there and stopped."

"What did he say?"

"He told me to wait for him. Once he was finished with the body, he explained himself to me."

"He did?" Hiccup asked, raising his eyebrows. Undoubtedly, he was wondering what kind of explanation he'd had. She took a deep breath as she remembered the story.

* * *

" _Astrid?" her dad's voice didn't sound very happy. "What are you doing here?"_

 _Astrid didn't answer; she was too busy staring at the person her dad was carrying. The man had a large hole on his chest, a red stain all around it. His eyes were open and staring into nothingness, and he was very still._

" _Dad? What's happened to him?" she asked, although she thought she knew. She'd seen an unresponsive person like him, once, while she was waiting for her dad, hiding in an alley. Two men had been fighting near where she was, and one of them had hit the other with something that had caused the second man to fall. He never got back up, and the first man left. Other people came, and one of them commented that the man was dead. She didn't exactly know what that meant, but the man her dad had been carrying looked exactly like that one._

" _Astrid..."_

" _Is he dead?" Perhaps her dad could explain to her what that was._

" _Astrid", her dad said, his voice serious, "go back to our tent and wait for me there. I promise I'll explain."_

 _She smiled. "Okay." Her dad always kept his promises; he'd always told her it was important to do that. He said it was something called loyalty, and she'd understand when she was older._

 _She did as her dad asked and waited for him. Some time later, he showed up._

" _Come here", he said, sitting her in his lap and stroking her hair. "Do you know what 'dead' means, Astrid?"_

 _She told him what she had seen in the alley. "He wasn't moving at all, dad. Is that what being dead means?"_

 _The man sighed. "Not exactly. Do you remember when you asked about Mum?"_

 _She nodded. "You told me she was in Valhalla, that her time here had ended."_

" _Well, that's what it means to be dead. It's when the moment has arrived for you to go to Valhalla."_

 _She bit her lip, considering this. "And why do you stop moving?"_

" _Because your body doesn't go to Valhalla, only your soul, so it stops working. Your soul is inside of you. It's what makes you, you."_

" _So did that man go to Valhalla?"_

 _Her dad shook his head. "No, honey, I'm afraid not. Valhalla is reserved for the brave and good of heart. That man will go someplace else, that's not nearly as nice."_

" _Is that why you took him there? Because he wasn't good of heart?" She had no doubt that her dad had played a part in ending this man's time._

 _He didn't answer immediately, but rather stared at her. At last he said, "You know how you've seen people taking care of plants and animals, and others who work with metal?" She nodded. "Well, that's what they do to live. What I do is... bring other people to the end of their time. There are those who don't want a certain person to live anymore, and they come to me."_

" _Are you a Valkyrie, dad?" She'd heard stories of them; they brought warriors to Valhalla. But her dad said the people that were dead because of him didn't go there._

 _He laughed. "Nothing quite so noble, honey. Like I said, these people are not good of heart, and they go to Hel when they die."_

" _Die?"_

" _When their time ends. Hel is not a place for the noble, like Valhalla." He gave her a sad smile. "It's a place for people like me. Only the gods should decide who lives and who doesn't."_

 _She was confused. "Then why do you do it, Dad?"_

" _Because it's what I'm good at, honey. I'm too far in to stop now. I don't expect you to understand this right now, but I hope you will someday."_

 _She looked at him. "Dad, are you a bad person?"_

 _He smiled. "Many people would say that."_

" _But you're not!" she protested. "I've seen bad people. I saw that woman hitting her little child. You always say that children should never be harmed. You've never harmed me."_

 _He hugged her to his chest. "That's because I love you, honey. Other children aren't so lucky."_

" _But..." She struggled to look up at him. "You can't be a bad person then. Bad people can't feel love."_

 _He frowned. "Who told you that?"_

" _I heard a woman say it, back when we were in that island with the big rocks."_

" _Well, it's not true, honey. You can be a bad person_ and _feel love." He sighed. "You're too young to understand all of this. What you need to know is that, no matter how terrible what I do might seem, I love you, honey. I always will."_

 _She smiled and snuggled closer. "I love you too, Dad."_

* * *

Astrid felt the tears prickling behind her eyes, but she did her best to control them. She didn't want Hiccup to know just how sensitive she was about the topic of her father. She continued to look ahead, waiting for him to make a comment.

"Astrid", he said tentatively. She turned her head and found him staring at her intently. Too intently. He would realise what was going on immediately, so she looked down again.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Damn it. Her voice didn't sound as nonchalant as she would've hoped. It gave her away.

He didn't say anything, although she could feel his eyes on her. Eventually, his fingers brushed hers. Just barely. Giving her the option to either accept it or pretend she hadn't noticed. She should choose the second one, she knew, but she really wanted to take the proffered comfort. Besides, she realised, given everything that he'd been through, it would be good for him, too. At least that was the excuse she gave herself when she slid her hand on top of his, allowing herself to indulge in the simple pleasure of having warm fingers against her own.

They stayed like that for a while, until Hiccup spoke again.

"I don't want to keep prodding..." he started.

"It's okay." She smiled at him. "I'm the one who brought it up, after all."

He frowned. "Yes, but I'm the one who mentioned your father in the first place."

"And I'm the one who asked if you wanted to talk. So it's fine. Ask."

"How old were you when... that happened?"

She looked at him, knowing that this would be another shock. "Almost four", she said softly.

Horror made itself present in Hiccup's face once more. "Three?" he asked. "You were only three?" She felt his hand clench. "And you just... accepted that?"

She shrugged. "What was there to accept? I was only a little kid. What else could I have done? At the moment, I didn't fully understand what my father was. Not long after that, I overheard some men talking about an assassination. That's when it began to dawn on me, I think. It made sense; our world was always so full of hate. Everyone teaches their children to beware of strangers, but my father practically told me to run away from them, because he knew that the places we went to were usually full of potential threats." She smiled at him. "That's why you left quite the impression on me."

He barely smiled back; he was obviously still processing what she'd told him. "And when you fully understood what he was? What then?"

"Hiccup, my father told me the truth the first time. He never tried to present himself as some sort of hero or anything like that. I always knew that there were people who would consider him evil for what he did, and he kind of thought of himself that way. So if you're wondering whether I was afraid, or whatever, of him, when I understood, the answer is no. Because I knew that wasn't what really mattered. Not to me, at least. As time went on, I could see that my father did have his morals. They were just different from everybody else's."

"Let me guess, they were the same morals you have" he commented in a dry tone, but there was the slightest of smiles on his face.

She grinned back. "Where do you think I learned? He never killed anyone he considered innocent. Sometimes his targets were young heirs, or farm people who refused to give up their lands, and in those cases, he never accepted. He was sought after enough that he could afford to be selective."

He nodded, and for a while, they were both silent. Eventually, she spoke again.

"Well, we strayed quite a bit from the original topic. This was supposed to be about you venting your feelings regarding your mother."

He smiled. "Well, I mean, if you were trying to distract me, it certainly worked. Also, I wasn't going to stop you the one time you actually opened up."

She grinned. "Treasure it well, because I'm not sure it's ever going to happen again." She stood, and instantly missed the warmth of Hiccup's hand against hers. "It's time we went to bed. We have a long flight ahead of us tomorrow."

He stood up and followed her to the cave. They settled down in silence. Astrid thought he'd finally fallen asleep, when suddenly he spoke up.

"Astrid?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for telling me."

She smiled, although he couldn't see it. "Does this mean you're going to stop judging me?"

She could hear the grin in his voice when he replied. "Not a chance."

* * *

 **A/N: There you go! A bit of Astrid backstory. I hope you enjoyed it. I know it gave me the feels when I wrote that scene.**

 **Also, as it turns out, only one of my three classes has started, so I'll be relatively free next week. So there should be an update then, unless something happens.**


	10. A cold reception

"Hiccup."

"Mmm."

"Wake up. It's time to leave."

Hiccup slowly blinked until his eyes opened. Light was streaming in through the cave's opening; Astrid was seemingly all ready to leave, her sleeping furs already packed. She shook his shoulder again.

"Come on."

Still sleepy, he raised to a sitting position. The air was chilly, making the bed even more inviting. The fact that it had taken him ages to fall asleep the previous night wasn't helping. Astrid was rummaging in her bags, until she found something and handed it to him. It was a piece of bread.

"Here. Have some breakfast, and then we can leave." As Hiccup tore into it, she smiled. "Didn't you get much sleep, or are you always like this when someone else wakes you up?"

He considered the question. "The former. Toothless wakes me up most of the time." At the mention of his Night Fury, he realised it was rather strange that he hadn't shown up yet. "Where is he?"

"Outside, with Stormfly. They've already had breakfast." She grinned. "I should add that he wanted to come in and wake you up, but I didn't let him. It seemed like you needed to sleep a bit more." She took in his appearance. "Probably still do, if I'm being honest."

"Ha, ha" he deadpanned as he finished the bread and finally managed to get up. "I seem to recall _someone_ understanding why I couldn't sleep. What happened to that?"

"It's called 'we're travelling to a freezing cold island and we need to get there while it's still daylight if we don't want to become ice'. Now stop complaining and let's go."

"Fine, fine, I'm going", he grumpily replied as he rolled up his furs and put them in the saddle. As they stepped out and he was captivated by the beauty of the place once again, he remembered the reason he hadn't found it easy to sleep last night.

"Where is Valka?" he asked while he greeted an enthusiastic Toothless. (He still found it strange to say 'my mother'.)

Astrid shrugged as she climbed on Stormfly. (Why was she in such a hurry?) "I don't know. It's the first time I've stayed here. I guess she probably wakes up with the dragons, but I've no idea of where-"

A screech interrupted her, and they both looked up to find Cloudjumper flying towards them. The dragon landed near them, greeting Stormfly and Toothless while Valka jumped off him. How she managed to stay on without a saddle of any sort was a mystery to him, really.

"Good morning", she said to both of them.

"Morning", they replied.

His mother frowned when she noticed how Astrid and Stormfly looked ready to go. "You're leaving already?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes. No point in delaying."

"Then it's a good thing I caught you now. I've got something for you." She produced a roll of parchment, or at least it looked like that.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked. For a second it looked like a map, until he realised that the parchment was in fact covering something. Something that was shaped like a roll, apparently.

"It's... well, it's a sort of paste made with oils and dragon nip. Burn it, and its smell will soothe any dragons nearby. I've used it here, many times, when injured dragons were acting aggressively out of instinct. The Snow Wraith isn't particularly friendly, so I thought it might come in handy." She gave the paste to Hiccup. It was lighter than he'd expected.

"Thanks", he said.

"Anything else?" Astrid asked, and Valka nodded.

"The Snow Wraith has thermal vision. It will not see you, but rather your body heat. You should be able to use that to your advantage. Although I don't know how you plan to get it close to you, but..."

"We'll figure it out, don't worry."

"Very well." She paused... "So... I guess this is goodbye?" she asked, looking at Hiccup sadly. It broke his heart.

"Not quite", Astrid assured her. "Once we get the tooth, we'll probably have to come back here. If it's a dragon thing, we could use your help."

Valka nodded. "The dragons and I will wait for you."

"All right", Hiccup agreed. He looked at his mother. "So, uh... I'll see you later, I suppose?" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

His mother was equally uncomfortable. "Yes, I will. Take care, son." She pronounced the last word carefully, like she wasn't sure how to do it. The same thing happened to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Astrid roll her eyes and gesture to Valka. Understanding her meaning, he stepped closer and hugged his mother. She brought her arms up around him, and they remained like that for some seconds.

"I'm glad you're okay", he told her as they parted.

She smiled. "Me too, Hiccup."

He climbed Toothless and noticed Astrid smiling approvingly at him.

"All right", she said, "see you later, Valka."

"Yes. Take care of him."

Astrid grinned. "That's what I've been doing so far."

His mother looked confused, but before she could ask, the dragons took off. Hiccup waved as she became smaller and smaller, long after he'd stopped seeing her face. Stormfly turned north and Toothless followed.

"Hey", Astrid said. He looked at her. "You'll see her again soon. Don't worry."

"I know."

The flight was quiet. Astrid didn't speak to him, presumably because she was still letting him mull over this whole 'finding his lost mother' business. And while at first he was thinking of that, his mind soon turned to the story that she'd told him the previous night.

He'd never stopped to wonder what Astrid's life had been like, or why she was the way she was. But now that he'd heard, he thought he might be starting to have an inkling. With an assassin for a father, he would've expected her childhood to be filled with death and very little love. And now it turned out that, while the former had definitely been true, the latter wasn't. Heck, from the way she talked, it seemed like her father had been more loving with her than his own had been with him. (Not that he thought Stoick didn't love him, but he certainly hadn't been good at showing it, for years.) What shocked him most from the story, though, was the acceptance that Astrid had shown for what the man had told her. Granted, she had only been three and didn't fully comprehend it, but...

Toothless rumbled beneath him. Hiccup patted his dragon's head, and then it occurred to him that he'd never even thought to question that dragons had to be killed, either. He'd always seen it as the norm, and tried to take them down without the slightest doubt. It wasn't until he met the Night Fury that his views were challenged.

Still, his brain insisted that he'd changed his mind as soon as he saw he was in the wrong. Astrid clearly knew that her fathers' actions (and hers) weren't acceptable by most people's standards, and yet she'd never defied the strange morality that she'd learned. She'd never tried to stop her father from killing others, and that bothered him. Then he remembered that she'd never mentioned any other family. Maybe she was afraid that challenging her father would lead to her ending up utterly alone? But even so, she didn't sound like she'd ever wanted to. Perhaps, because she was young, she chose to stick to the status quo and didn't try to change it. It might not even have been strange to her. After all, someone who knew what dragons were like would probably be horrified by Berk's past behaviour, too. Plus, he realised, if she'd spent her childhood following an assassin, the places she'd been in were likely not very nice. Violence, whether pub brawls or plain murder, must have been an everyday matter for her. So maybe she saw it as natural. He remembered that her father had visited Birger. The boy had never mentioned his home as being overly violent, but he could've been trying to hide it, he supposed. Then again, he didn't know just at what age Astrid had been there. Maybe she'd already learned her ways by then.

Between the little sleep he'd got and how hard he was thinking, his head was starting to throb. Perhaps he should simply accept that he'd never be able to fully comprehend the reason for Astrid's actions, even if he wanted to. But he felt that he at least had got a little closer to that goal. He probably needed more pieces of the puzzle, though, and Thor knew when, or even if, there would be another occasion in which she felt like telling her life to him. At least it was better than nothing.

"I can hear the clogs of your brain turning from here, Hiccup", Astrid's voice broke through his thoughts. He looked up to find her smirking. "There can't possibly be that much to think about regarding your mother, so I know it's not that. Is it what I told you about my father?"

"Yes", he replied honestly.

"Let me guess, you're trying to link it to how I normally do things."

Hiccup gaped at her. "Am I really that predictable?"

She chuckled. "Only to those who know you. So? Did you reach a conclusion?"

"Yes. That I don't understand you, and maybe I never will."

"Well, that's disappointing. Did you really spend all this time thinking to end up with that?"

"Well, I think I can understand you accepting violence when you were child. I'm guessing you didn't spend time in the nicest of places."

"Your guess is correct", she smirked.

"So that, at least, makes sense to me. It was natural to you, just like killing dragons was to us. What I don't get is why you never realised it was wrong."

Her face softened. "That's because I've never seen it as wrong, not in the way you do. To me, killing someone in self-defence, or just because they were bothering you, was perfectly normal. And I who was I to defy what I'd been taught? In that sense, I think, we're completely different, you and I."

"But I shot Toothless down with the intention of killing him", he said. Below him, Toothless warbled and he rubbed the dragon's head. "It wasn't until I understood that he wasn't what I thought that... well, that I bonded with him."

"I know. But you were never a traditional Viking either, were you?" When he didn't reply, she continued. "Well, I was. In every sense."

"And you never changed that."

"Nope", she smiled. "Anyway, that's enough deep conversation for now. We should start focusing on what we're doing now." She looked him up and down, which confused him (and made him strangely uncomfortable) until she spoke again. "Don't you have anything warmer than that?"

"Uh, no. I packed for Meathead Island, not a giant piece of ice up north."

Astrid laughed. "Fair enough. You had no reason to suppose a madman would go after you."

"Actually", he grinned, "considering my track record, I should probably have considered that I would end up being chased by someone. Although I couldn't have imagined it would lead me so far away."

"Yes, I know. You have a magnet for dangerous people, it seems."

"Do you include yourself in that category?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Obviously. Just because I'm not trying to harm you like, say, Dagur, doesn't make me any less dangerous. But back to the topic, you really don't carry a cloak or something with you, ever? Just in case?"

"No. Toothless is pretty good at keeping me warm."

"So is Stormfly, but you never know when you're going to have to sleep apart from your dragon. Anyway, lucky for you, I've always got spare clothes, so I can lend you some."

"You don't mean girl's clothes, do you?" He felt silly asking, but he had to check. Astrid laughed in response.

"I'm not going to put you in a skirt, if that's what you're worried about. Although the mental image is pretty amusing. But no."

"Okay. Just checking."

"I'm glad that you're at least protecting yourself."

"Huh?"

"All that armour", she said, gesturing to him. "Mind you, leather isn't very good protection, but I guess you don't have a choice if you're going to walk around in it."

"Oh, uh, this isn't for... protection. It's a flight suit."

"A flight suit?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "What for?"

"Flying, of course. What else?"

"By yourself?"

"Yes. I wanted to be able to at least glide, in case Toothless and I get separated."

Astrid grinned and shook her head. "You think of that scenario and come up with an overly complicated solution to it, and yet bringing warm clothes for a sudden storm or something doesn't even occur to you. Your thought process is baffling."

Hiccup tried his best not to blush. He had never seen it that way, but she was right.

"Anyway", she continued, "how does that work?"

He slowly smiled. "Why don't you let me show you?"

She instantly grew more alert. "What are you planning to do?"

His smile had turned into a grin. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

When Toothless felt him unhooking himself from the saddle, he gave a displeasured grumble. He still didn't like this, even though the suit itself worked perfectly; Hiccup had worked on it numerous times. Oh well, he'd get used to it. Astrid had noticed his actions and seemed tense.

"You're not going to-"

He didn't give her time to finish as he took a step forward and jumped off Toothless.

"Hiccup!"

Normally, he would freefall for a while, as he found the experience to be quite exhilarating. However, Astrid sounded terrified, and he supposed he couldn't blame her; to her, it must look like he'd just jumped to his death. So he immediately reached down for the straps in his legs and opened the leather wings, quickly pushing the button on his chest to get the fin out. Once he'd stabilised his flight, he glanced back and was rewarded with the rare sight of Astrid Hofferson's astonished face. He grinned and, looking forward again, continued gliding. He heard Stormfly getting closer.

"How did you make that?" she asked.

"Trial and error", he admitted. "Which is why Toothless isn't so fond of it."

"I take it he's had to catch you a couple of times?" He could hear the smile in her voice.

"More than a couple, to be honest."

"Well, I will admit it's impressive. But get back to Toothless now. We're nearing the island." And as she pointed it out, he noticed that a large white island was now visible in the horizon. "Also, I'm getting a bit nervous."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence." He rolled his eyes and called his Night Fury, who flew beneath him and slowly got closer until Hiccup was able to lie down on him. He proceeded to put the wings and fin away, while Astrid watched.

"Amazing", she said. He smiled at her.

"Thanks. But I thought you were getting nervous?"

"Amazing _and_ nerve-wracking", she explained. "Anyway, I think I've got an idea to lure this dragon to us."

"Let me guess, we make a fire or something like that so that it sees it and think it's food?"

Astrid grinned. "I guess great minds do think alike."

"How humble of you."

She laughed. "Hey, I just called you a great mind. Learn to take a compliment. But yes, that was basically my plan."

They discussed it further as the island got closer. The air was starting to get extremely cold, and soon Hiccup found himself trembling.

"Hey, Astrid, I think I'll take those extra-"

"Watch out!" she cried as Stormfly suddenly dived to avoid an incoming net. Toothless quickly evaded it as well.

"What the...?" He looked down and noticed the two ships stationed by an icy cliff.

"Dragon hunters", Astrid growled.

* * *

 **A/N: What Valka gave Hiccup is basically incense, in case you were wondering. And I'm giving them cloaks because honestly, in the show they didn't wear anything warmer and they were freezing, which is kinda stupid :P**

 **This week another of my classes starts, so updates are probably going to start to get slower now. (Still in schedule, though, don't worry.)**


	11. The trouble with teeth

For a second, Astrid pondered how Grimborn had found out that they were coming, before she realised that he probably hadn't; he'd just put two ships to guard the Snow Wraith in case she managed to figure out that she needed it. Which confirmed that they were on the right track. However, there was something that didn't make sense; if Grimborn hadn't wanted them to get their hands on the dragon, he could've easily waited and then ambushed them while they were unprepared. Being out on the open made no sense. Either the man was confident his two ships could take them down... or he really wanted to see them as soon as they arrived, but for what reason?

 _Wait._ Of course. Grimborn wanted to know if they ever reached the island, so he'd put some sentinels that would keep them distracted while they sent a message, maybe by Terror. In which case, they needed to look out for that.

"Hiccup, let's go higher. We need to discuss strategy."

He didn't say a word as Toothless and Stormfly climbed farther away from the ships. Once they reached a safe distance, he spoke.

" _Those_ are hunters?"

"Yes. We have to take them down. And also, keep watch for any Terrors they might try to send."

Hiccup looked puzzled. "Why would they send-"

"To tell Grimborn that we've arrived."

"Oh. Okay. So is there anything I have to watch out for?"

Astrid nodded. "Don't let their arrows hit Toothless under any circumstances. The tips are poisoned with dragon root to incapacitate them, as my people were unfortunate to find out. Also, the chains and cages are dragon-proof, so try not to get caught, and if you do, save your firepower to take out the men."

"Very well. How are we going to do that? We split?"

"No, we focus on one ship at a time. You haven't met these guys yet, Hiccup, but I have. I'd rather you get the chance to watch and learn, if you don't mind."

"But that'll give the other ship a chance to attack us", he protested.

"I know, but I think it'll be safer this way. For both of you", she added, looking at Toothless.

Hiccup sighed. "Very well."

"Also, I know that you don't want to kill them, but we can't let Grimborn know we've come. We can't just let them escape. At the very least, we need to leave them stranded for a while. Aim to destroy both ships. Leave the boat on the bigger one intact." She would've preferred to just kill the lot of them, but she knew Hiccup would never let it stand. They didn't have time for an argument right now.

"Got it."

"Okay then, follow my lead!" At her signal, Stormfly dived and used her fire to destroy one of the first ship's net launchers, making sure to fly evasively all the way. She heard the distinctive whistle of the Night Fury behind her as a plasma blast blew more of the ship's weapons to splinters, making the men run for cover. Some of them jumped into the water to avoid the fires. Astrid pulled Stormfly higher and quickly dodged the arrows that she knew were coming, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Hiccup and Toothless had done the same.

"Ready for another round?" she asked. Hiccup nodded, and their dragons dived once again. Astrid targeted the men with the bows, for she considered the dragon root arrows the most dangerous of all their weapons, throwing spines at their feet. She would've preferred to shoot at them, so that at least she could ensure they wouldn't be able to fire again, but she could've killed one of them, and she didn't want a lecture. Hiccup, for his part, shot at more of their launching machines. Suddenly an arrow came out of nowhere and narrowly missed Toothless' flank. They noticed that the other ship, which had originally been further away, had come closer to help their comrades.

"Be careful!" she exclaimed. She didn't know if Hiccup heard or not, but there was no time to find out as Stormfly avoided a chain going for her tail. The few men still left on the ship they were attacking took this as their cue and began firing with whatever they had. Stormfly had to do all sorts of manoeuvres to get away unscathed. Those few seconds she lost track of Hiccup, however, proved to be fatal. She heard a yelp and looked around to find that a chain had been wrapped around the middle of Toothless' body, effectively capturing both him and Hiccup. The chain had come from the other ship. She needed to get to him, and fast. Astrid didn't even think as she commanded Stormfly to shoot spines at the men that had just attacked her. Three of them were struck, and the fourth, seeing as she wasn't afraid to use lethal force, quickly jumped out of the ship.

Now that there would be no more distractions, she looked at the other ship and evaluated the situation. This ship was bigger, which meant it had more weapons and people to handle them. Hiccup and Toothless were being reeled in at a fast pace, and if she shot at whoever was doing it, someone else would step in. She needed to take care of the others first, she decided. The problem was, there were too many, and they might very well overwhelm her if they attacked all at once; she needed to scare them. And the only way to do that was to show them that she wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Hiccup wouldn't be happy, but she was more than willing to have him grumpy at her if it meant keeping him safe.

Stormfly climbed up a bit to gain more momentum when she flew past, and she saw the men getting ready to shoot; now was the time. Her Nadder dove in and, as she whizzed along the ship, let her spines fly at the hunters. Stormfly rarely missed, even less when there were so many targets; when she went up, Astrid surveyed the damage and noticed five men lying down on the wood, blood seeping out. Their fellow hunters were stepping away from them, clearly spooked; a couple of them actually jumped off the ship. Perfect. She noticed Hiccup and Toothless were now on the ship, but nobody was paying them any attention. She nudged Stormfly, and the Nadder flew past once more. Many of the men lost their nerve and took cover, obviously not wanting to be the next target. This time, though, she only let Stormfly shoot fire, and once they'd reached the other end of the ship, Astrid jumped off and quickly knocked the man next to Hiccup down. Stormfly could continue to attack on her own, but she needed to get the other rider free. She set out to do so, and when a hunter approached them, she raised her axe threateningly, and he wisely backed off.

"Did you have to kill them?" Hiccup demanded, and Astrid suppressed a sigh, because _of course_.

"They're scared of me now, which works in our favour, in case you haven't noticed." She finished pulling the chain off; Hiccup immediately mounted Toothless, and Stormfly, who'd been flying around, came for her. Once both riders were back on the air, she checked the men and saw them looking at them wearily.

"Well", she said, "let's finish this, shall we?"

This ship was bigger, but they were two and didn't have to worry about anything else now, so they made quick work of it. Hiccup, luckily, had learned from his mistake and watched his back much more closely. After all the men had either been incapacitated or were floating in the water, Astrid landed and Hiccup followed. She was only now noticing what was missing.

"Something's wrong", she said. "Where's their leader?"

"Leader? You mean Viggo?"

Astrid shook her head. "Not him, I doubt he'd waste his time here. But someone who's in charge."

"I didn't see anything... and now that I think about it, I never saw a Terror, either."

Her eyes widened. "That's it! You're a genius!"

Hiccup may have blushed, but she didn't have time to check as she rushed to the door on deck, where the commander's chambers probably where. She opened it to find Ryker sitting on a desk, smiling smugly. His expression didn't change when Astrid slammed him down on the desk and pressed her axe against his neck.

"You're too late", he said. "The message has already been sent."

Keeping her face expressionless, Astrid considered her options. If the Terror had been sent at the start of the battle, then their chances of finding it were practically nonexistent. Stormfly was an excellent tracker, but she needed a scent. And killing Ryker, while satisfying, wouldn't solve her problems. So there was only one thing to do.

"Oh, really? Well, send your brother this message, then." She pressed even harder on his neck. "Tell him that he's going to regret what he did. Tell him that, when I get Hiccup out of this and have no further need of him, I'm going to _enjoy_ destroying him and his empire. Tell him that he messed with the wrong person."

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked, voice tense. He was somewhere behind her, no doubt staring at Ryker. She kept the man down for a second longer, then turned around.

"Let's go", she said, walking out. Hiccup followed her, confused.

"Who was that?" he asked as they climbed on their dragons.

"Grimborn's brother, Ryker."

"Oh." As they gained altitude, he continued. "I take it we couldn't stop the Terror?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Right now, we're going to destroy the smaller ship. After that, we'll do what we came here to do."

"And Viggo?"

Astrid shrugged. "I guess he'll learn that we came here. I'd rather he didn't, but there's nothing we can do about it."

As they combined their dragons' firepower to blow the ship apart, she could see Hiccup looking down at the bodies.

"You didn't need to do that", he said, a hard edge to his voice. Astrid rolled her eyes. Seriously, how many times were they going to have this conversation?

"Didn't I? When you were caught by that chain, I was alone with Stormfly against two ships full of people. What do you propose I should have done instead?"

"You..." He ran his hands down his face. "Okay, yes, you needed to take them out because you were outnumbered. But _killing_ them?"

"Last time I checked, fire burns people and spines tend to impale that which they land on. So unless Nadders have some special ability to shoot stones and nobody told me, there was nothing else I could've done. Plus, it wasn't just about the numbers, Hiccup. It was about instilling fear. If they hadn't been afraid of me, they wouldn't have stayed back the way they did."

Hiccup grumbled, and she knew she'd won the argument; her logic was pretty sound.

"It still feels wrong", he said finally. "It feels even worse when you make it sound like that."

"Like what?"

"Like there was no other choice. Like murder was the only viable option."

Astrid sighed and nudged Stormfly to get closer.

"Hiccup", she said in a gentler voice, "you need to understand, we're not in Berk and you're not fighting against the Outcasts or the Berserkers anymore. This is a new enemy, much more cunning and deadly than anything we've faced before. And..." she hesitated. "The truth is, _your_ world isn't the same."

"I know", he said sadly. "There are people looking for me. You don't have to remind me."

"It's not just that. It's the fact that everyone you've ever considered an ally, be it your tribe, the Meatheads or any other, isn't your friend anymore. The fact that you can't look for help where you normally would, because those people don't trust you, and you can't trust them. And the people who will understand what you're going through, are those that you wouldn't have considered friends before. You have crossed from _your_ world, into _mine_ , and it works differently."

Hiccup didn't reply. She looked down and saw the ship was sinking.

"Let's go do what we came here to do in the first place." She guided Stormfly towards the island, and Toothless followed. They landed amid the snow, near a cave, and climbed off their dragons.

"Do we still have the dragon nip paste?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes, nothing happened to it. So we make a fire now?"

Astrid was going to answer, when she noticed that he was shivering, rubbing his arms with his hands. The cold was starting to get to her, too, now that the adrenaline of the fight was wearing off.

"First of all, let's not freeze to death." She rummaged in Stormfly's saddles until she found the two fur cloaks she'd brought along. She handed one to Hiccup, and they both fastened them around their necks. Hiccup's cloak was a bit short for him, something she hadn't considered; usually, Heather wore that.

"I'll have a better one made for you when we get back", she promised. Hiccup shrugged.

"Eh, it's better than being in the cold", he told her. "So, the plan?"

"Right. I've got some firewood here. We don't want the Snow Wraith to know we're here, so we hide our dragons in that cave", she pointed, "and we hide behind the rock. When the dragon comes to the fire, we burn the paste for a while, and once it's calmed enough, we get close."

"Sounds reasonable."

Stormfly and Toothless, understandably, weren't very keen on leaving them exposed, but they obeyed their riders and hid after Astrid had taken the wood. Once the fires were going (they'd made several to give themselves more time), they hid behind the rock she'd seen, digging a hole in the snow to make themselves as invisible as possible. They only had to wait for a few minutes before they heard a loud screeching noise. A couple of seconds later, they saw the dragon itself. The first thing that crossed Astrid's mind was that the gods had been very smart when making it. It was this huge, white thing that was almost impossible to see in the snow. Whatever it ate, its prey would never see it coming. She noticed it wasn't particularly friendly, if the way it tore through the small fires was any indication.

In any case, they hadn't come here to study it, so she held out the paste to Hiccup, who took out his flaming sword and lit the tip. A thin column of smoke rose immediately from it, with a strong smell that she guessed was dragon nip. Once they were sure it wasn't going to go out, Astrid stepped out from the rock and cautiously approached the dragon, who stopped to stare at the small fire in her hand. Hiccup had warned her that some species like the Whispering Death didn't love it all that much, so she was prepared to run for it if need be. Luckily, after some seconds the dragon let out a strangled roar and dropped down.

A bit more confidently, she walked until she was standing right next to its mouth. She planted the paste right next to the Snow Wraith's nose, to keep it dazed. Then she dug a hole, big enough for her to hide in, so the dragon wouldn't see her. Astrid got in and raised her hand. Stormfly, getting the signal, got closer to her, ready to protect her, but staying away from the dragon nip's smell. Getting some pincers that Hiccup had given them, she carefully put them around the dragon's tooth. It didn't react, and she took a deep breath. This was going to suck.

Mustering all the force she could, she pulled. The tooth loosened, but not enough, and the Snow Wraith, enraged, roared and stood up. Astrid quickly let go of the pincers and dropped into the hole, knowing that she was too close and, if it saw her, she was dead. Stormfly immediately shot at the other dragon, making it thrash around wildly. After what seemed like an eternity, she could hear the strangled noise again, and knew the Snow Wraith had calmed down enough. Peeking out from her spot, she saw it lying nearby. Grabbing the pincers that were left in the snow, as well as the paste, she walked towards it and once more shoved the dragon nip practically in its face. She waited for a few seconds before putting the pincers around the tooth again.

 _Okay. One more and that's it. Come on._

She tensed her muscles until they hurt, and then pulled with all her might. This time the tooth came off, and she grabbed it before dropping the pincers as she jumped into the hole. The Snow Wraith sounded a lot angrier this time, but now that they had the tooth, Astrid signalled her dragon to keep attacking. Toothless joined the fray, if the plasma blasts she could see were any indication, and soon the screeching died away.

"Astrid!" she heard Hiccup's voice. "Are you okay?"

She climbed out and held the tooth out, smiling. "I can see why you'd use something like this as a key", she answered. "Not easy to get."


	12. Projections

Hiccup watched with his heart in his throat as Astrid approached the Snow Wraith. Sure, she had the dragon nip to calm it down, but he knew that not all dragons were susceptible to it. What if this was one of the species that belonged in that category? What if it attacked her? She would be too close to run. This could go wrong so easily.

 _Please, Thor, let this work._

Fortunately, he quickly saw that the dragon relaxed as soon as it smelled the paste. His anxiousness returned, however, when Astrid pulled and the dragon got _angry_.

For a long, terrifying second, he thought she was a goner. Until he realised there was no blood on the snow, so obviously she'd avoided being attacked.

 _Phew. That was close._

Stormfly confronted the Snow Wraith and, while it was distracted, Astrid tried again. This time the dragon sounded _much_ angrier, and Hiccup contemplated just telling Toothless to attack, plan be damned. He couldn't just sit there doing nothing!

 _But wait..._

Stormfly didn't seem too worried, and the dragon would obviously be in a very different mood if her rider had been killed. So Astrid had to be mostly fine. When the Nadder kept on attacking, he told his dragon to join her. The Snow Wraith soon got tired of this and took off, and Hiccup ran to the hole that Astrid had dug, concerned as to why she hadn't got out yet. What if she couldn't? What if she'd been hurt?

"Astrid! Are you okay?" He hadn't even reached her, but at least he wanted to see if she was conscious. He was quickly reassured as she climbed out, no blood in sight, holding a tooth triumphantly.

"I can see why you'd use something like this as a key. Not easy to get."

Hiccup let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank Thor", he said, not bothering to hide how glad he was at this fact. Astrid seemed amused by it.

"Watch out, you almost sound like you were worried."

"I was."

"Well, that's new."

Hiccup's eyebrows rose. "Of course. I stopped one guy from raping you and another from killing you, because I definitely couldn't care less about you. Right."

She smiled. "No, I know. I was more thinking about how you... don't usually say it out loud because you don't want others to hear."

"Well, it's not like there are other people around right now."

"Oh, that's clever of you. Saying it when there are no witnesses. Plausible deniability." Despite her teasing, he could see something else in her eyes, an undefined emotion.

He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, by now it's kind of offensive that you would think that."

She laughed. "I know, I know. Just kidding. Anyway, let's make sure this is the right thing."

Astrid took the Dragon Eye from Stormfly's saddle and inserted the tooth into the keyhole. It fit perfectly. Hiccup watched with baited breath as she twisted the interlocking parts over in her hand. When after some time nothing happened, she huffed and put it back in the saddle.

"I don't know how this works, but obviously there are more things we need to figure out. We can do that over at Valka's island. We should get out before the Snow Wraith decides to come back."

"Couldn't agree more." As they climbed on their dragons and took off, he added, "That was crazy, by the way."

She grinned. "But it was awesome. Admit it."

"I'm not saying it wasn't. I'm just saying maybe we could've found a less life-threatening way to do it."

"We were trying to pull out a tooth from a wild dragon. Unless we killed it, I don't think we had many other choices."

"Fair enough."

When they flew over the remains of the hunter ships, he made no comment, and neither did Astrid, but his mind wandered back to what she'd said. Now that they were in no rush, he went over the scenario in his mind again. However, no matter how many times he did that, he was simply unable to come up with a solution to it that didn't involve killing. And if he couldn't think of one in a couple of minutes, then he couldn't expect Astrid to be able to do so, either. Especially since she'd been under pressure at the time, and didn't have more than a few seconds to react.

But what did that mean? That the only viable solution involved killing? Astrid had told him he was in a different world. He knew as much; he wasn't stupid. That didn't mean he had to accept it, though. Except that he did, because like Astrid said, this was a _dangerous_ world, and not adapting to it would end up with his death. It wasn't the most appealing of prospects. And yet, he was afraid of it. Not so much of the world, as of what he had to do in order to survive.

Killing, at least in cold blood, just wasn't in his nature; he'd discovered as much the day he'd shot down Toothless. Defending himself, or someone else, was different; there was something to protect. Something that, to his subconscious, was more important than the other person's life. This was, after all, what had happened when he'd killed Drago, or even that man that had been harassing Astrid all those years ago. He'd struggled with these two deaths for a while, until he'd asked himself whether he'd do it all over again, if there was no other choice. The answer that had come to mind immediately was positive. This had brought on the realisation that maybe, under such desperate circumstances, killing was... maybe not reasonable, but understandable.

It had taken him quite some time to reach this conclusion, and the situation he was in now didn't seem so desperate as to have to resort to such measures. And yet today's encounter seemingly proved otherwise. He could accept that Astrid sometimes killed people because it was the easiest (or the only) solution she could come up with. It was an instinct that she'd learned long ago. He, on the other hand, tried to avoid it. But he now saw that, if Astrid wasn't there for whatever reason, then maybe he wouldn't have any other choice.

And what scared him, what really scared him, was that, if he started killing people because he believed he was justified, then he'd lose himself. He was a peace-maker; it was how he defined himself. If he lost that, then who was he?

For the moment, he decided, he wouldn't give Astrid any more grief if she killed someone. She'd done enough for him to deserve that reprieve, at the very least. He'd have to accept that sometimes death was necessary... and hope that he could still stay true to who he was.

* * *

Hiccup was rather quiet during the flight back, and Astrid suspected he was still thinking about what had happened with the hunters. She knew he'd need time to process it, so she kept silent and left him alone. When they arrived at Valka's island, the woman was more enthusiastic than she'd ever seen her. She hugged Hiccup (without awkwardness this time, thankfully) and smiled at Astrid, something she'd never done before. She had also made dinner to celebrate, which was a terrible idea, because she had been living among dragons for twenty years and had apparently forgotten how to cook for people. Astrid was able to hide her reaction because she was used to maintaining a neutral expression. Hiccup wasn't so skilled, though, and couldn't stop his grimace. Taking pity on him, she distracted Valka long enough for him to be able to empty his plate in a nearby plant.

"So, did you get the tooth?" Valka asked.

Astrid retrieved the Dragon Eye and showed it to her.

"We did. Thanks for the paste, by the way. Can we keep it? It might come in handy again."

The woman waved a hand. "Of course. I have plenty around here. So what does that thing do, then?"

She sighed. "We haven't found out yet. Maybe you can help with that?"

"I'll see." Valka took the Eye and turned it over in her hands, manipulating it in much the same way Astrid had tried back at Glacier Island. Like her, it led her nowhere.

"I don't know", she said at last, handing it back. "It's not like anything I've ever seen."

"It's fine. We'll work it out." She looked at the dark sky. "It's late. We should go to sleep."

"Agreed." Both women got up, but Hiccup remained seated, staring at the Eye.

"Mind if I give it a try?" he asked her. She gave it to him.

"Be my guest. But don't stay up all night, please." She remembered several accounts of Berk villagers about how he tended to get caught up in his projects.

He frowned. "I wouldn't-" He stopped when he saw the look she was giving him. "How do you know that?" Again, she didn't say anything, and he answered himself. "Oh, right. Fine. I won't."

She turned to Toothless. "Make sure he gets some sleep. Drag him to bed if you have to." The dragon rumbled, and Astrid took that as a sign that he understood. She and Valka bade him goodnight and retired to bed, the blonde staying in the same cave as last time. Stormfly flew somewhere with her dragon friends.

She was just starting to fall asleep when Hiccup raced in, panting. Toothless followed him.

"I've got it! I've got it!" he exclaimed. Astrid jumped up.

"You've got it?"

"Toothless, show her." The Night Fury let a blast build low in his throat... and the cave was illuminated by a purple light that came from the Dragon Eye, which she now saw Hiccup was holding. She turned and noticed that, when the light hit the wall, it became a set of images with writing around them. She got closer and tried to read, but realised she didn't know the language. She smiled at Hiccup.

"Well done. How you did you come up with this?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, didn't. Toothless decided to make himself comfortable and when he burned the rock, the Eye just lit."

"I see."

"Can you understand any of it?" he asked, gesturing to the wall.

She shook her head. "No. I'll have to bring it to someone who might." Bjarte wasn't too far away, she thought, and he was a scholar who knew several languages. He'd be able to help.

"'I'?" Astrid smiled at how quickly he caught it.

"Yes, I. You can come if you want to, of course, but I figured you might want some peace while you can still have it. Enjoy some time alone with your mum."

He considered it, but she knew he was going to say yes. It'd be healthier for him. Eventually, he nodded.

"Okay. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. No reason to delay."

"And how long are you going to take?"

"Considering the distance, probably about two days. I'm hoping to get a dictionary and maybe some basic lessons on whatever language this is."

"A dictionary?"

"Yes. It's a book that's basically a compendium of words from one language. It should help us with this."

"Oh."

"Well, I'd better get to sleep now. I've got a long trip tomorrow."

"Is it further than Glacier Island?"

"Definitely", she replied as she went back to her furs. She noticed that Hiccup was still standing, looking at the symbols on the wall. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Yeah, yeah." He did something on the Eye and the light vanished. She heard him move around as he spread his furs on the floor. A few minutes passed, and then he spoke again.

"Astrid?"

"Mmm?"

"I... I know what you did today was probably the only way to deal with it. I'm just... trying to come to terms with that. It goes against... everything I believe."

"Hey, it's okay. I know that. I don't expect you to suddenly go around killing people because you're a wanted person now. It proves to me that you haven't changed."

"That's what I hope. Anyway, I, um... I've decided I won't... pester you again if we're in a situation like today's-"

"Hiccup, I don't mind when you do that. It's not such a big deal."

"But it is for me, because I have to get used to it, or at least not find it so... jarring. What if... what if one day you're not there, and I have to be the one to do it? And I can't defend myself?"

Astrid sighed. "First, I'll try my best so that you don't find yourself in that situation. Second, if that should happen, I think you'll do whatever you have to in order to survive, even if it means killing someone. It's called self-preservation instinct." She paused. "Although yours seems a bit diminished, I'm sure it's still there."

"Excuse me?" She almost laughed at the indignation in his voice.

"Jumping off your dragon mid-flight doesn't sound like something a person who values their life would do."

"The flight suit is perfectly safe-"

"Was it safe the first time you tested it?"

He was quiet for a few moments. "No", he admitted.

"And there you go. Now seriously, let's sleep."

"Fine." There was a beat. "Thank you."

She didn't ask what for. "Anytime."

* * *

The following morning, after breakfast, Astrid showed his mother how the Dragon Eye worked. Then she parted, promising not to take long. Valka offered to show him around the sanctuary, and he accepted. There were so many species of dragons here that he'd only read of in the Book of Dragons, but never actually seen. At one point they stopped to eat.

"Hiccup", his mum said, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What's going on? You look worried, and so does Astrid. She isn't the most easy-going person I've seen, but the few times she's come here, she seemed more relaxed."

Hiccup sighed. "It's a very long story. And I'm not sure I can tell you everything."

"Then don't, if you don't want to. Just... tell me what's troubling you. You're my son, and I've only just found you. I want to help if I can."

"Okay... What do you know about Astrid?"

"Very little. I know she protects the dragons from hunters, but that's it."

"Well... she's a well-known criminal in the archipelago." He hoped the blonde wouldn't kill him later for saying this, but he wanted to.

"Well-known for what?"

"I'm not sure, but she's got this whole organisation. I think she steals stuff and sells it, or something. I don't know."

"Is she an assassin?"

"She doesn't have any problems killing people that are in her way, but she doesn't take gold for it, as far as I know."

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, she's never seemed worried if hunters die during her attacks. But I can't blame her for that."

"Yes, well, anyway..." He told her an abridged version of what had happened since Astrid had come into his life, from catching Dagur, to defeating Drago, and finally the predicament he was currently in. He left details out, so that his mum wouldn't have such a bad image of Astrid.

"That's... I can see why you're both so tense."

"Yup. Having a bounty on my head isn't fun."

"And you trust Astrid, despite everything."

"More like _because of_ everything. She's proven herself to me, at least. I know Dad doesn't like it, but..." He shrugged.

His mum changed the subject then, but he could see that she was still thinking about everything. During that day and the next, they flew around the island and he showed her his flight suit. They hunted with the dragons and Hiccup learned a lot of things about Toothless. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He discovered that he loved having a mother with whom he could share so much. If only she'd lived in Berk.

When Astrid came back, three days later, Hiccup found himself wishing she'd taken longer. (Maybe she had delayed already. It wouldn't be unlike her.) He felt like there was still so much unsaid between him and Valka, so much to do. He noticed that his mother's face was stern as she looked at Astrid, and he cringed internally. The former was going to berate the latter for everything, he was sure. As soon as Stormfly had landed and her rider jumped off, the woman's words were hard.

"Astrid", she said. "Hiccup has told me everything."

The girl looked at Hiccup for a moment, but he was unable to determine how she felt about that.

However, he never could've anticipated what his mum said next.

"I want to help you."

* * *

 **A/N: This should be the last "transitional" chapter, at least for a while. Back to Hiccup being hunted now :P Also, some of you said that he complains a little too much about the killing. Well, he's trying to be better about that, give him a break :P**

 **Also, a warning: I've started all of my classes now, so updates may take longer, like this one, but still in schedule.**


	13. New beginnings

For a moment, Hiccup thought he'd misunderstood. Help him? How? Astrid seemed equally dumbfounded.

"You want to help us?" she repeated.

"Yes", his mother said, now turning to her son. "I've been absent practically all your life, Hiccup. I want to make it up to you, in any way I can. And this seems like a good start." She turned back to Astrid. "So I want to give you a hand in proving his innocence."

Astrid's confused look had quickly become a calculating one, and Hiccup knew she was considering how best to incorporate Valka into her plans.

"I see", she said at last. "Would you say you have any particular strengths or weaknesses?"

His mother shrugged. "I don't know. I will admit that, having spent the last twenty years living among dragons, I've probably lost my touch with people a bit", she admitted.

Astrid, however, was grinning. "But that's perfect. Because it means nobody will recognise you, and that works very much in our favour. As for people skills, it doesn't matter. I or one of my people can teach you whatever you need to know."

"It sounds like you already have a plan", Hiccup commented.

"Remember that I told you we need to find the Camicazi impersonator?"

"Yes."

"Well, Viggo is sure to have her well hidden and guarded closely, so we need to get information as discreetly as possible, without raising suspicion." She smiled at Valka. "And that's where you'd come in."

"You want me to get information?"

"You have a lot of dragons, most of which obey your command. I want you to catch the attention of the dragon hunters, and offer them something they'll be interested in, in exchange for information."

His mother was horrified, and so was he. Was she seriously suggesting using dragons as mere livestock? "I'm not selling dragons to them!" she cried. "The hunters will-"

"I know, I know", Astrid interrupted. "Of course, you'd free the dragons as soon as you obtained some useful information. But it may take a while. I'm aware it's a difficult thing to do, and if you don't think you can, then I'll find another task for you. It's your choice."

Valka looked between him and Astrid for a while, until at last she spoke again, this time to him. "These last twenty years, I've protected the dragons and neglected you, my son." She smiled sadly. "Maybe this is the gods' will. Maybe it's time for me to do what, as a mother, I should've always done. If this is a test, then I will take it." She turned to Astrid. "I'll do it."

"But-" Hiccup started to protest, but the woman cut him off.

"Don't argue, Hiccup. This is something I must do."

The blonde nodded. "I understand this is difficult, Valka. I know if I had to give Stormfly to those bastards, even for a greater cause, I would hesitate, too."

"So when do I start?"

"Oh, not yet. I have to go back to camp and organise a lot of things before we start. You'll hear from me when it's time." She looked up at the sky. "I think we'll stay here for tonight, but tomorrow we leave at dawn."

Dinner was quiet, since both women had a lot to think about. He would've wanted to chat with his mother some more, but he respected the fact that she needed to process how everything was going to change for her. Astrid must've noticed this, because she mentioned it as they were preparing for bed.

"Hiccup, I know you're worried about your mother, but she offered, and I really could use her help."

"Yes, I know. I just wish this wasn't so hard on her."

"If she hadn't offered, and we were to just leave tomorrow, do you really think she'd be more cheerful?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hiccup, you two have just reunited after twenty years, and she doesn't know when she'll see you again. Of course she doesn't like it."

"But I will see her again. Her task can't take that long."

Astrid raised her hands with her palms up. "We don't know that, Hiccup."

The next morning, saying goodbye to his mum was painful, and he thought she had tears in her eyes.

"Bye, Mum" he said as they hugged. "Thank you. For everything."

Valka smiled as she pulled back. "I'm glad I got to see you, Hiccup. I wish it had been under better circumstances."

"So do I. But we'll meet again. Soon, I hope."

After a few more words and a (much less emotional) final exchange between his mother and Astrid, they were gone. Toothless warbled as they took to the skies, like he could sense his rider's sad mood. Hiccup smiled and patted his head.

"It's fine, bud. Don't worry about me."

They arrived back at Astrid's camp by noon, which threw Hiccup off until he remembered that it had been moved from its previous location. Just as before, their dragons were led to the stables by Einar, who greeted them enthusiastically, while they went to Astrid's tent. They stopped before going in.

"Has Heather arrived yet?" she asked one of the men guarding it, but he shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, Hofferson."

Astrid sighed. "I imagined as much. Thanks."

As soon as they were in, Hiccup spoke.

"Are you going to do something about her?"

"I'm going to have to put some of my tracking people to work. But you don't need to worry about that. You just stay here, where nobody will get to you."

"What about you?"

"I'm leaving for a couple of days. I need to get some information on Viggo."

"About what?"

She sighed. "Guess I'll find out."

* * *

The trip back to Berk had passed in a blur. Stoick didn't see anything before him, didn't even feel Skullcrusher underneath him. All he could think about was the situation his son was in, the giant problem he'd got himself into. It was because of the Hofferson girl, he was certain of it. The knowledge was torture to him; he kept going back to the idea that, if he had refused the deal she'd first offered, none of this would've ever happened. He was aware that thinking about the 'what-ifs' was pointless now, and in any case, Hiccup himself had chosen to go through with it. There was never anything he could've done about it. And yet the thought wouldn't leave him alone.

To keep his mind off that, he had to focus instead on what was important right now, and that was finding his son before anyone else. Holger wanted revenge, as did all of his island. If Hiccup was captured by him, it would be a death sentence. Now, he had to admit he had no idea of where Hofferson might take him, but fortunately Skullcrusher was a tracking dragon. He didn't know exactly how accurate his senses were, but he hoped he could smell a trace that was a few days old. All he needed to do was get something of Hiccup's; there were plenty of clothes in his room. The only problem was that Rumblehorns weren't exactly known for their speed, so he was starting at a disadvantage. He would've liked to bring Gobber, but Grumpy might slow them down, and he needed someone reliable to run the village while he was gone.

He had agonised over whether he should tell the people what had happened or not, and eventually he decided that he wouldn't say anything unless it was absolutely necessary. It wasn't that he wanted to hide things, but rather that he believed Hiccup had already suffered enough ostracism at the hands of his fellow tribespeople. If it was proven that his son was innocent, then he would tell them about the whole mistake. If not...

 _No. Hiccup didn't do this._

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. The Hofferson girl couldn't have had that much effect on him. Back to his plan, one advantage was that Berkians weren't people who went out exploring all that often. This meant that they weren't likely to contact anyone who could tell them what had happened. The only real risk was Johann, but he could easily be convinced to keep his tongue.

When they finally arrived at Berk, there was no time to lose. Instead of approaching the village, they flew around and landed in the forest, so that the villagers wouldn't notice he was back. Leaving Skullcrusher there, he stealthily made his way to his house. Once there, he rushed upstairs to find his son's belongings. He chose a tunic that his boy wore often, so that the scent was stronger, and then began packing a few more things for Skullcrusher's saddle. He was so focused on his task that he didn't even hear Gobber knocking.

"When did you get here?" Stoick jumped and glared at the blacksmith, who was decidedly unimpressed. "And why are you leaving again?"

"Did anyone see you coming?"

"Why-"

"Answer the question", he snapped.

Gobber sighed. "No. Given the way you arrived, I figured you didn't want anyone knowing. Again, why? And where's Hiccup?"

Now it was Stoick's turn to sigh. "He's in trouble, Gobber."

"What has he done this time?"

"I'm not sure he _has_ done anything, but people think he has." He proceeded to explain what had happened at Meathead island, or at least what he knew. When he finished, Gobber was frowning.

"I don't believe he did it either, Stoick."

"No, but Holger does, and that's the problem. I have to get to him before they do, or they'll kill him. You know they will."

"So you're just leaving? And you're not telling anyone anything?"

"I can't tell them something that might or might not be true. I'd rather know for certain first."

"And how are we going to explain your absence?"

"I was thinking maybe you could tell people you got a letter from me, saying I'm staying a little longer because I'm visiting-"

"Whoa there, chief. You want me to take part in the lie?"

Stoick gritted his teeth. Gobber questioned him sometimes, but right now there was no time. "Yes. I ask that you stay in charge while I'm gone."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Are you refusing?"

The two men stared at each other for a while, until Gobber sighed again.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"For Hiccup's sake."

"For Hiccup's sake", he agreed. "Are you going alone?"

"Yes. I don't trust anyone else with this. I would've wanted you to come with me, but..."

"You need me here, covering for you."

"Precisely."

"And you think you can catch up with Hiccup? Skullcrusher may be a fearsome dragon, but he's no match in speed for a Night Fury."

"I'm well aware, Gobber. I don't think Hiccup has run that far, though. If he's with Hofferson, she needs to be close to her assets. My guess is they're hiding somewhere. And if they are, that buys us some time."

"Don't you think the girl might've thought of that?"

"Of course she has. But I can't just leave my son with that treacherous murderer. I'll have to take my chances."

Gobber sighed. "All right, I see you're set on this. I won't try to change your mind. Mostly because I know it would be useless. However, I have to insist that you wait at least a day before leaving." The chief started to protest, but Gobber overrode him. "Skullcrusher is tired from your flight, and you're going to embark on a journey that could be pretty long. He needs some rest."

Stoick considered his friend's words, and decided he was right. His dragon would require energy for what was coming. "Very well. I'll leave tomorrow then. Now go before someone notices you're here."

"Good luck, chief. Something tells me you're going to need it."

* * *

"So they've found a Snow Wraith's tooth."

Ryker nodded. "The one with the Night Fury, the one you framed, was just trying to do some damage. I think he didn't want to kill anyone, but the Hofferson girl had no such qualms. A few of the men panicked."

Viggo shrugged. "It's fine, brother. I didn't expect two ships to be able to stop them. And that wasn't why I put them there, anyway. We now know that they've figured out at least part of the Dragon Eye."

"That could be a problem", his brother pointed out. "What if they start using the knowledge there?"

"To do what?" Viggo laughed. "Brother, if what that Bard told me is true, the Hofferson girl is more concerned with getting the Haddock boy out of the situation I've put him in. She can't waste time going after me, or trying to protect some dragons. Something which works to our favour."

"So you're just going to let it be?" Ryker asked incredulously.

Viggo sighed. "Like I said, it won't make any difference to us, not as long as she has something else to worry about."

"She could send some of her other people. She has before."

"You're not paying attention. She wants to help the boy, and she'll use all her resources to do exactly that. She won't have valuable assets doing something else."

"And if, for whatever reason, she does manage to get him out? What then?"

"That's highly unlikely, but if it should happen, then we'll simply destroy her and every single member of her organisation."

* * *

Astrid looked down at the island they were approaching, confused. This wasn't some dark hole full of pirates and other criminals; this was a regular village, with honest people bustling about. Why would Grimborn keep part of his gold here? But then it struck her that it was actually a brilliant idea; it was the last place anyone would think to look. Hiding in plain sight at its finest.

"Well, girl", she said, patting Stormfly's head, "let's see what's waiting for us, shall we?"

Her dragon flew around at a prudent distance, so she wouldn't be spotted, and landed in the forest. After instructing her to stay there, Astrid walked towards the village. A few of the people threw her suspicious looks, since they didn't know her; a couple more greeted her cheerfully. She responded in kind, and soon she reached her destination; a small, worse-for-wear hut. Nothing about it suggested that something of value was stored here. Again, sheer brilliance.

She knocked and waited. When after a while, nobody came, she knocked again, more insistently. The door was abruptly opened by a stocky, angry-looking man.

"What do you want?" he barked. Astrid wasn't the least intimidated by his tone.

"Are you Nemo?" she said pleasantly.

"Who's asking?"

"Not important. I've heard that you keep some things for a certain Viggo Grimborn-"

"Go away." The man started to close the door, but she stopped it.

"I just want to see it."

Nemo sneered. "You think I'm an idiot, girl? You're not the first to come here, asking that question. See it, you say. More like steal it."

"So he does keep his things here."

"This conversation is over." The man attempted to close the door again, but Astrid wasn't done.

"Obviously, I wasn't just politely asking." She opened her hand to reveal a handful of gold coins. "There's more where that came from, if you'll let me-"

Nemo looked down at her hand, then back at her face. "My brother made a fortune out of his trade. He always had the most expensive things, and loved to brag about it. And you know what happened? A pirate stabbed him to death and stole all his gold. I'm not following the same path. Goodbye." This time the man managed to shake her hand off the door and closed it.

Astrid stood for a moment staring at it, then turned away and began to walk. This would be more difficult than she thought.

But not impossible.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope that wasn't confusing, with all the POVs. The first three are supposed to take place about the same time, while Astrid's part happens a few days later.**


	14. Preparations

Astrid spent the night at the cheapest inn she could find. The villagers were much more likely to remember her if they thought she had gold, which was exactly what she didn't want. Besides, people were sure to talk and gossip in this kind of place, and she needed some information. The next morning, she went down to breakfast and casually joined a conversation with a bunch of ladies who apparently were the entertainment during the night. She didn't hear anything about Nemo, which didn't surprise her; he was obviously a man who kept to himself, or Viggo wouldn't have chosen him. That didn't deter her, however; there had to be a way in. Everybody had one.

After some time, she excused herself and walked around the village for the rest of the day, buying a few supplies, and chatting with as many people as she could. Most of them knew plenty of details about their neighbours' lives, but nobody had any idea of what Nemo did. She was considering going back to the inn and continuing tomorrow, when she overheard a woman speaking to a sailor.

"So how's Gayle doing?" the man asked, and the woman scoffed.

"Still with her head in the clouds, I'm afraid. She thinks I don't notice the little glances she throws when we walk past Nemo's hut. I've told her there's no future for her there, but she doesn't listen..."

Astrid had heard enough. She committed their faces to memory and then went to lean casually against a wall, pretending to be busy. When the woman walked past, she quickly snatched a handkerchief she had hanging from her pocket. After ensuring nobody had noticed, she went back to the inn. The following day, she walked to the port and found the sailor that had been speaking to the woman.

"Excuse me", she began. He looked at her curiously. "I saw you speaking to a woman yesterday evening, a brunette? She had this..." She showed him the handkerchief, and the man's face brightened.

"Oh, yes, Nairi! That's hers, where did you find it?"

"She dropped it yesterday when she was leaving. I saw it but there were a lot of people blocking my way and I couldn't warn her. Could you tell me where she lives so I can give it back?"

"Of course!" Once she got directions, she thanked the sailor and promptly set off, finding the house easily enough. It looked pretty beaten up; some planks were torn off, and scratches could be seen on the wood that did remain. A poor family, then. She knocked on the door, but nobody answered. She knocked again, and this time a young woman opened. Obviously this was Gayle; she was the spitting image of her mother.

"Hello?" she said uncertainly.

"Hello", Astrid replied with a charming smile. "Is your mother home?"

"Uh, no. Who's asking?" It didn't escape her notice that Gayle gripped the door tighter. She seemed almost scared.

"Your mother dropped this, and I wanted to return it to her." She showed the handkerchief, and almost immediately the girl relaxed. Astrid deduced she was probably used to unknown people meaning bad news in her house.

"Yes, it is hers. Thank you."

They talked a bit more, and the girl ended up showing Astrid around the house. From what she could see, it was clear that this family struggled to survive. Gayle confirmed this when she mentioned that her father had died with a lot of unpaid debts.

"We often get people who want their gold back. Sometimes we have it. Sometimes..." the girl trailed off and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Sorry to bother you with this."

Astrid smiled. So her theory at the door had been correct. "Don't worry about it."

While she walked out of the house, a plan was already forming in her head. She knew exactly how to get Nemo to cooperate with her. It would involve moving a few assets here and there, but nothing too complicated. And Hiccup's skills could also be used, she decided.

* * *

"Rise and shine, bitch."

Heather blinked awake slowly, as one of the hunters slammed the bars of her cell with a metal rod, producing a loud noise. At first, when they did that, she'd wake up with a start, but after all the times she'd heard it, she'd grown used to it. She had no idea of how long had passed since she'd been captured. At least a few weeks, probably more than a month. Enough time that Astrid had probably already started looking for her. The question was, would she find her?

The guard tossed a piece of bread into her cell. She waited until he was gone before tearing into it. Starving her, it seemed, was the newest way they'd found to try and break her. From the moment they'd first caught her alone, they had attempted several ways to get information from her. The man in charge of this particular hunter establishment loved brutality, and seemed to take it as a challenge. She'd suffered through various forms of physical punishment, from simple punching and kicking to whipping. She had expected rape to come up, but apparently the general (or whatever his rank was) didn't consider it bloody enough, which was a relief to her.

She had been lucky, she guessed, that Windshear hadn't been with her when she'd been caught. Of course, the dragon was captured later while looking for her rider, but the hunters didn't think that they were together. If they had, then they would have tortured Windshear to get her to talk. And as much as Heather was loyal to Astrid, she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep quiet if her dragon was harmed. She'd rather not be forced to choose between them.

Windshear was also the reason why Heather hadn't escaped yet. There had been plenty of occasions for her to do so, when her guards were careless, but there was no way she was leaving her dragon alone. She had to free her as well, and she didn't know where the dragons were kept. So she waited, hoping that someone would slip up and reveal that detail to her. She could take the torture. What she couldn't take was the idea of Windshear scared and alone.

Another way in which she'd been fortunate was that nobody among the hunters thought she was very important. They wanted to know on whose behalf she was working, but that was it. It probably never occurred to them that she was on the side of their boss' most dangerous foe. Had they known, they probably would've brought her before Viggo Grimborn himself, and if he recognised her, he would use her as bait. She hated the idea of becoming a liability for Astrid, who she considered a sister. However, that hadn't happened, so she could simply bide her time.

"I see you're done", the guard that had dropped her breakfast spoke, and she looked up. She hadn't noticed him coming. "That's good. The captain will see you now."

A sadistic smile spread through his face. She kept her expression neutral as she was dragged towards the torture chamber. Soon, she told herself. She'd get back at them all soon.

* * *

Stoick looked around at the trampled patches of grass and circles of rocks that littered the ground. This had definitely been a camping site, and a huge one at that. So why would all the people here leave? And more importantly, why had Hiccup come here?

When he'd left Berk with Skullcrusher, four days had passed since his son's troubles began. By the time they got near Meathead Island again, it had been almost a week, and Hiccup's scent was nearly gone. His dragon had often been confused by the smells, and it took a lot of guessing for him to find the right track. They'd first ended up at a lonely island with no signs of being inhabited. However, it seemed his son had stayed the night, because the trail got stronger, or at least Skullcrusher appeared more confident. They had then followed the scent to the island they were at now. Stoick had meant to leave immediately, but due to all the different people that had apparently been here, his son's scent was lost among all the others. All he could do, then, was try to investigate this island.

If Hiccup had been here, and probably the Hofferson girl as well, then this was likely a camp where the people who worked for her lived. It made sense that she'd brought him here, then. Perhaps they'd left because they thought he, or someone else, might come after them. In any case, he wouldn't find Hiccup like this. He'd have to start looking around the islands, questioning people, and avoiding the other chiefs who were probably doing the same.

It would be difficult, but that didn't matter. Getting Hiccup back safely was worth it.

* * *

"You want me to _what_?"

Astrid grinned. "You heard me perfectly well. Make the prettiest axe you can."

Hiccup snorted. "I can think of several things that are more important for an axe than being _pretty_. And who would it be for?"

"You'll see."

"Oh, so I have to work and I don't even know why I'm doing it?"

"What, you thought I was doing all this for you for free?" Hiccup raised his eyebrows, and she laughed. "I'm kidding. But seriously, I will let you see. You can even bring the axe to the person herself, if you want. Honestly, I want to see your face."

That confused him. "My face?"

"Yes, when you figure out why you did it."

He sighed. Really, he should've seen it coming. "I'm just wondering how giving an axe to someone is going to help me prove I'm innocent. Are we trying to get in someone's good graces?"

"You could say that. It's not to help with your problem, though, at least not directly. More of an attack to strike Grimborn where it hurts him the most."

"Gold?" he guessed, and she nodded.

"It won't actually help _you_ , but while I figure out a way to get to _him_ , it's a good idea to try to weaken him."

"All right. So I have to make an axe. Do I at least get some materials?"

"Of course. We even have a few old axes, I think. Maybe you could work on one of those. It might save some time."

"And I have to make it _pretty_."

Astrid grinned. "You think it's ridiculous now, but you'll see later. I promise."

Hiccup didn't say anything else. It would be pointless, he knew, and the sooner he got to work, the sooner he'd know. Although he couldn't understand why anyone would favour a weapon's appearance over its usefulness. He went over to the forge, where Gerd was working on something, and rummaged through the old weapons. After a bit of searching, he found a suitable axe and began repairing the head.

While he worked, he thought about his situation, something he often did. The past few days, staying here in the camp, hadn't been so bad. Hiccup would've expected the people who worked for a criminal to be more hostile, at least towards strangers, but that hadn't been the case at all. He probably should've learned that, with Astrid, nothing was ever as it seemed. Everyone had been accepting of him, treating him kindly and showing him around the place. Nobody knew what his connection to Astrid actually was, but that didn't seem to matter. He'd spent a lot of time with Einar, teaching him about Toothless and talking about dragons in general. He'd also worked at the forge a few times with Gerd, the blacksmith. Although the man's manner was rather brusque and almost rude, he was excellent at his craft and seemed to like Hiccup well enough. Or at least he appreciated his abilities.

When he spent time with these people, who were no different from Berk's villagers, it was hard to imagine that, if any of them were to get captured by his father or one of the other chiefs, they'd be arrested and thrown in a dungeon. They weren't the brainless, cruel men that Dagur or Drago had employed; they were regular people, working for a criminal. And not one of them seemed to be troubled by it. From what he could gleam, they thought Astrid was a fair boss. They were aware of the illegal nature of her activities, but since she never stole from poor people or killed innocents, they didn't think it was such an immoral business. Like Astrid had said, it was a completely different world, one where things weren't so black and white. And it was clashing with his own world, challenging his own views, making him realise that what he'd always considered set in stone was not necessarily so. That maybe Midgard wasn't divided in good and bad people, like he'd always believed. It was unsettling, to have so much of the foundation of his world just thrown out the window.

With all these thoughts running through his head, he could almost forget that a lot of his former allies were hunting him. However, he remembered it every night when he went to sleep in his tent by Toothless' side. That was when he wished Astrid would come with some news, maybe that she'd figured out a way to help him.

Apparently that's what she was going to do now, with a decorated axe of all things. He was done with the blade, so he stopped to ponder what kind of designs he could carve onto the handle. Gerd, who'd spoken with Astrid, had told him that all their resources were available to him, so he wanted to do his best. He drew a few designs on a piece of parchment, all of them dragons. He was trying to decide which one he liked most, when Astrid's sudden voice beside him made him jump.

"I like that one. Is that a Nadder?"

Hiccup almost dropped the parchment. Glaring at her, he picked it up.

"Can you not do that?"

She grinned. "What's the big deal? You weren't handling anything dangerous."

"If my heart stops and I die, it's on you."

"Fine, so noted. So is that a Nadder?" she pointed at the paper.

"Sort of. I was considering which one to use."

"And dragons is your theme. Which shouldn't be surprising. Hey, Gerd, come here!" she called over her shoulder. The old blacksmith went to them.

"Yes, Hofferson?" His respectful tone was reserved only for her, it seemed.

"If you had to give a lady an axe to get her attention, which of these would you put in it?" She held the parchment to him, and the man looked at it for some time.

"Is this Stormfly? I like this one", he said at last. Astrid smiled.

"It's decided, then. Use the Nadder."

"Very well", Hiccup replied and grabbed the axe. He noticed Astrid eyeing it.

"What?"

"Nothing, I remember the state that axe was in. Nice job."

Hiccup snorted. "Your confidence in my abilities is inspiring, Astrid. Truly. I _was_ the blacksmith's apprentice, you know. For years."

"I know, I know. Learn to take a compliment, for Thor's sake." She rolled her eyes.

"Hard to do when you never got any the first fifteen years of your life", he deadpanned without thinking, and then flinched. He hadn't meant to say something so personal, least of all with Gerd hearing every word. Astrid's face fell. She stared at him for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was much softer.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Bye." And as she walked past, he could've sworn he felt her hand on his shoulder for a second.

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's kinda late, but happy Easter! :P You all said last chapter that the different POVs weren't hard to follow, but if you're confused, just tell me and I'll make it clear.**


	15. How to steal a man's treasure

Hiccup tried to ignore the villagers' suspicious looks as he knocked on the door. Seriously, what did they think he was up to? Then again, he was a stranger in a relatively small island. If someone new showed up at Berk unannounced, they would receive the same piercing stares that he was getting right now. In fact, he was probably lucky that nobody had come to ask him what he was doing. Although he had a cover story, he'd rather not have to use it.

A young woman with dark hair opened the door. Oddly enough, she seemed almost... scared. Which was ridiculous, because Hiccup wasn't exactly a tough-looking Viking.

"Yes?" she asked.

 _Be gentle_ , Astrid had warned him, when she explained what he had to do. _She's used to strangers being violent. Show her she has no reason to be afraid of you._

 _Right_ , he had replied sarcastically. _Because she's going to be terrified by all this,_ he'd said, gesturing to his arms. Astrid had laughed at that. Now he could see that she had been right, though.

"Hello", he began. "Are you Gayle?"

She nodded cautiously. "And you are?"

He smiled. "My name isn't important, but I have come on behalf of someone else. Someone who wanted me to give something to you."

"Oh?" She seemed confused. "Something for me?"

"Yes. I can show you right now, if you want. You'll have to follow me."

She was clearly thinking that, whatever it was he wanted to show her, it was going to go badly for her. Her fear was clear, but she didn't dare disagree. "All right", she said shakily.

"Don't worry, we won't have to go far", he tried to reassure her. The way she looked at him as she stepped out of the house, however, told him that his attempt had been unsuccessful. Oh well, he thought. If there really was no helping it, at least she wouldn't have to be afraid much longer. Indeed, if Astrid's plan worked, she was actually going to be pretty excited soon. The other villagers stared (what a surprise) as they walked away. After some time in which Gayle seemed to be freezing with each step she took, they reached the hut that Astrid had indicated. Hiccup opened the door and gestured for her to walk in, and if he was reading her body language correctly, she thought she was marching to her death. _What kind of life does she live to react like this?_ , he wondered.

The hut was small and only had one room, and in the middle of the floor sat a closed chest, which Hiccup knew contained the axe he'd repaired. When he'd shown the finished product to Astrid, she'd stared at it in amazement, which had almost made him blush. It wasn't _that_ impressive, or at least that's what he thought. He'd told her so.

"It's perfect", had been Astrid's answer. "It'll work wonderfully."

He'd decided to take her word for it. After all, he still didn't know what the purpose of all this was, only the part that he had in it. Another thing he didn't understand was all the fanfare to give this girl a simple weapon, but Astrid had insisted it was all part of the plan, and he knew better than to argue. It wasn't like it made a difference to him anyway.

Had he known that this girl would be so terrified for her life, though, he wouldn't have given in so easily. It was time to end her torment, he decided.

"Okay", he said. "So this is for you."

And without further ado, he went over to the chest, opened it and got the axe out, holding it in such a way that it would be impossible for him to attack someone. He did this so as not to scare Gayle further, but it was in vain, for when he turned around, she shrieked and took a step back.

"No, don't be scared!" he exclaimed. Thinking quickly, he carefully placed the axe on the floor between them and held out his hands. "This is for you."

The girl looked between him and the weapon. "Really?"

He smiled. "Really. Go ahead, take it." He walked backwards to give her some space, and she carefully went towards the axe, picking it up. When she noticed all the decorations, she gasped.

"It's beautiful", she said. She gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry I acted so jumpy, I thought you were going to..."

"It's okay", he interrupted. He had a feeling he didn't want to hear the end of that sentence. "You don't have to apologise."

The brunette nodded and stared at her axe again. "Did... did you make this?"

"Yes."

"Thank you... Why... Wait, you said this was from someone else, didn't you?"

"Yes, he commissioned this axe for you."

"He? Who... Who was it?"

He smiled. "Want me to show you?"

She nodded cautiously. "Okay."

"Come, then." Hiccup went towards the back door and opened it. She followed him into the forest, still wary but nowhere near as terrified as she'd been before. The rider followed the trail left by Stormfly's scales (a very clever way of marking a path that he wished he'd come up with). The girl kept asking him where they were going, but he only replied that she'd see. The truth was, Astrid hadn't told him; she said she wanted to surprise him. Eventually, they reached a clearing.

Against a tree was a chest, much like the one that had been in the hut. Leaning against that tree was a grumpy-looking man. And standing behind the tree, in such an angle that only he could see, was Astrid, who caught his eye and smirked.

* * *

Astrid wondered how much longer Nemo was going to take to get to the clearing. If he didn't get here before Gayle did... well, it might not necessarily ruin her plan, but it would certainly make it more difficult. Having the man there was part of convincing the girl that all her presents came from the man she loved.

At last, she heard footsteps and looked between the trees to find Nemo approaching. She hid behind a trunk, and only revealed herself when he went towards the chest, curious. As soon as he saw her, he stepped back.

"You again!" he exclaimed. He reached for his knife. "Where is Gayle? If you've done something to her..."

"Relax", she chuckled. "I haven't done anything. Well, nothing bad, at least. In fact, I may have just done you a favour involving her."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you just wait here, you'll find out. Gayle should be coming any minute now."

"And how do I know it's not a trap?"

"If it was, don't you think I would've simply held a dagger to Gayle's throat and told you to stay here?" The man frowned, but let go of his knife and went to lean against the tree.

"I still don't trust you", he spat. "What's in that chest?"

"Again, just wait."

A couple of minutes later, she finally saw Hiccup and Gayle coming towards them. Making sure that she'd remain hidden behind the tree, she watched as the girl's face brightened upon seeing Nemo and ran towards him.

"Nemo! Oh, Nemo! Thank you! It's so beautiful!" she practically screamed.

"What-"

"I love it!" she said, pulling the axe out. "I've never had anything like it before! Oh, Mother just _has_ to look at you differently now!"

Nemo and Hiccup, who was standing behind Gayle, looked equally puzzled, although for different reasons. She'd felt bad for not telling him the whole thing, but she really wanted to see his surprise. Nemo seemed like he wanted to ask something, but Astrid nodded at Hiccup to let him know he had to continue.

"And that's not all", he interjected. Gayle beamed at him for a second before looking back at Nemo.

"There's more?" she asked.

"Yes. What's in that chest is for you."

The girl ran to open it excitedly, almost squealing in delight when she saw its contents. Astrid had used a considerable amount of gold to ensure the dresses and perfumes in the chest were of the highest quality. It didn't matter if the price had been almost outrageous; after all, she reasoned, she could use Viggo's gold to cover the expenses. She noticed Hiccup peeking at the chest, obviously still puzzled as to the purpose of all this. Nemo's expression was a mixture of confusion, mistrust and... yes, that was definitely love in there. Perfect. She caught Hiccup's eye and pointed to Gayle. 'Distract her', she mouthed, hoping he'd understand. He nodded and knelt by the girl's side.

"What's all this?" he asked. Gayle looked at him. "Nemo told me he had another chest, but I had no idea of what was inside it."

"Oh, it's beautiful! Here, see..." and she began showing him the expensive clothing and other items. Astrid took the opportunity to tap Nemo's shoulder and motion behind the tree. He joined her, although a lot less reluctant than before.

"All right, what do you want?" he asked. "If you think I'm going to let you in just because of everything you did, you're sorely-"

"There's more, obviously" she interrupted him. "I didn't give you all. Gayle would love to see other lands, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Here's my offer", she continued, unfazed. "On the other side of this island, there's a ship waiting for you and her. You give me an hour with Viggo's gold, and you can get on that ship and go as far away from Viggo, or even the archipelago, as you wish. I'll provide for you and make sure that you live a comfortable life. I can also take care of the girl's mother, or if she so wishes, her mother can come with you." She paused. "Think about it, Nemo. You love her, don't you?" He didn't answer, but the way he avoided looking at her was more than enough confirmation. "Have you ever seen her smile so brightly? It can be like that, for the rest of your lives."

Nemo stepped out of the tree and gazed at Gayle, who was now talking with Hiccup about her axe, it seemed. Astrid smiled. Everyone had a weak spot, and she had found Nemo's. Others in her business would've tortured Gayle to get him to talk, but she knew that a man like this would never give in to coercion, and she didn't like the idea of hurting innocents. She had long ago discovered that treating people nicely could often get you much farther than threats, especially with the loyal ones. As much as they could stay true to their employees, there was always something or someone they loved more. It was just a matter of finding the appropriate present. And she had done exactly that. Even now, she could see the war raging in Nemo's mind. Gayle looked up at him and smiled sweetly. The man smiled back and turned to Astrid, sighing.

"Thor have mercy on my soul."

* * *

Valka pulled the scarf higher over her face, making sure it covered everything but her eyes. Although nobody would recognise her, she didn't want to risk anyone remembering what she looked like; the woman who had instructed her had insisted on that.

A couple of days earlier, she'd received a Terror with a message giving her the coordinates to a certain island, telling her she'd meet one of Astrid's people there. At the time she'd wondered why the person hadn't simply flown, but upon arriving she discovered that the woman had come by boat. Her name was Ragna, and she'd explained that not everyone in Astrid's service had dragons, only those who desired it. Over the course of two days, Ragna had given Valka all sorts of advice on how to subtly manipulate people, and the story that she should use to make the dragon hunters trust her. The more she learned, the more she realised just how good at this game Ragna, and probably Astrid too, was. Some of the things she'd been told, she would've never thought of before. Granted, she hadn't spent time with humans in quite a while, but the observations the other woman had shared with her were so deep, she doubted other Vikings would've ever come up with them.

In any case, she had learnt quickly, something she was adept at after living with dragons with whom she couldn't always communicate effectively. Ragna soon deemed her ready to start with her task, and so here she was, sitting at this seedy tavern, waiting for the hunters to show up. She had forgotten just how unpleasant some people could be, but she was reminded of that now. Some of the men drinking had a mad look about them, while others waited like a dragon waits for its prey to appear. At least, there were many other people hiding their faces, like her, so she didn't stand out.

Finally, the door opened and the hunters walked in. Most of them went to talk to the whores, though three headed for the bar instead. Once the first group had left, she watched the second one. Two of the men drank much faster than the third, which would work to her advantage. She waited until the first two seemed sufficiently drunk to go up to them.

"G'day", she began in a thick accent. (Another trick Ragna had taught her.)

The three turned and gave her the once-over. The drunk ones went back to their tankards, one of them falling to the floor while turning around, but the third one stared at her somewhat critically. (Still slightly drunk, but not as much as the others.)

"Who are you?" he finally asked.

"M'name 's not important, but you may call me Boarstriker. I hear you're dragon hunters."

"Yes, we are."

"Then I might have something of interest for you."

"Oh?"

"It's outside, if you care to join me."

"Right, I follow you outside so you can stab my back when I turn around. Do you think I'm stupid, lady?"

Valka snorted. "Why would I want to do that? If I were a common thief, there's plenty of drunks already outside I could rob. Plus, you don't exactly look like you carry a lot of gold with you."

The man stared at her for a few seconds. "Very well", he said. "I'll bite."

As he got off the stool, the other hunter who was still conscious looked up.

"Where're y'going?" he slurred.

"Don't worry, I won't take long. If I do, come find me", he added, eyeing Valka.

He walked with her, and as they went away from the village, she saw him place his hand on his sword. Eventually, they found the cave where a few of the dragons from her sanctuary were waiting. It pained her to think that they trusted her and she would repay them by handing them over to the enemy. It felt like she was giving up her children... except she _had_ a human child, Hiccup, and she'd given him up twenty years ago. It would be terribly unfair to him to compare the two situations. She couldn't let him down again, so she steeled herself for what she had to do.

When the hunter saw the dragons, he whistled.

"Wow", he said. "These are yours?"

"For now", she replied. "You see, I'm a seller of all sorts of things."

"I'll tell Viggo-"

"Don't", she cut him off. At his questioning look, she continued. "First of all, he'll want more if you do, and I don't have many at the moment. And besides, I don't want gold."

"Then what's your price?"

"Favours", she smiled. "Let's do this: you take a few of these dragons and tell Viggo you were the one who captured them. In exchange, when you're in town I might ask you to run an errand or two for me."

The man only considered it for a few seconds. "Very well", he said, holding out his hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

 **A/N: One thing I didn't say and might not have been so clear is that Astrid wrote Nemo a letter as if she were Gayle, asking him to meet her in the forest.**

 **Anyway, sorry this one took so long, I was pretty busy with some things. Also, midterms have already started, so the next update might be slightly slower, too. I'll try to write it as soon as I can, though.**


	16. Keeping promises

Hiccup left his tankard on a table and went towards the cliff he'd found the previous day. With the full moon, it was bound to have a beautiful view. It wasn't that he minded the other people's company, not at all, but right now he was feeling overwhelmed and needed to be alone. As he started on his path, Gerd, the blacksmith, patted him on the back.

"Where're you going?" he asked, almost concerned.

"Just need to get some air, you know?" Hiccup replied with a faint smile. The man nodded and let him go.

"All right then. But do come back soon. The night is young!" he exclaimed, motioning around with an arm. Indeed, everyone else was standing around, drinking and laughing, and two men had even engaged in some sort of wrestling competition. The spirits were high, which was exactly how Hiccup _wasn't_ feeling right now. He didn't want to spoil anyone else's fun.

"I will." He walked away, relieved when nobody else stopped him. He'd have thought that Astrid would have asked what was wrong, but she was nowhere to be seen. It made sense; after all, she was the one who'd thrown the party, if it could be called that. He had questioned the need for it, but she'd explained it to him.

"I just came into a lot of gold. It's only right that I spend at least some of it on ale for my employees, don't you think?"

And now here they were, and everyone had been pretty excited about Astrid's purchase. In a way, it reminded him of that night on Drago's ship, so long ago, when the admirals had opened a bunch of caskets to celebrate Drago's return.

He didn't want to think about that night. Or rather, what had almost happened. Instead, he focused on the present and where he was going. Once he found the cliff, he sat down and stared at the moon, going over what had taken place two days ago.

Astrid's plan. Only when he saw Nemo and Gayle embark on a ship and take off did he understand the full scope of it, and why Astrid had specifically asked for the axe to be pretty. Of all the outlandish ideas... No one else, he was sure, would come up with such a way to get the man to cooperate. And probably very few people had the means to make it happen. After Nemo gave her the key, the gold had been carried in wagons by her people and secured in her ships. Once they left, he'd been able to talk to her. Astrid had been amused at his incredulity.

"I knew you'd never see it coming", she had smiled. "Honestly, you should have seen your face!"

"You're right", he'd chuckled. "I didn't see it coming. It was a good plan, though."

"Of course. One thing I've learned in this business is that threatening people makes them ill-disposed towards you. Give them something they want, though, and they'll be eating right out of your hand."

"Like bribes", he'd nodded.

"For some people, yes. For others, gold isn't enough to make them budge, so you need to get a little more creative. Like in this case."

"Yes, clearly." A pause. "Anyway, now what?"

"Well, Viggo won't be happy to learn that he's lost a large portion of his fortune. He'll be trying to bounce back for a while. With any luck, we'll find a way to strike him before he can recover his balance."

"But we still haven't found one."

"I know", she'd sighed. "It's not easy, even with my resources. But I promise, no matter what it takes, I'll get you out of this."

"I know you will. I was just asking." He'd looked around, uncomfortable with the subject, and seen the piles of gold. "What are we going to do with all this?"

She had shrugged. "Some of it will cover what I paid to get this plan going. I was planning to keep it, unless you want it, of course."

"Uhh..." He'd considered it for a moment, before deciding it sounded like too much trouble. "No, I think I'll pass."

"Smart idea. Gold can often become a problem. Although what we _can_ do, if you want, is send some of it Berk, anonymously, of course."

That had sounded more tempting, but... "I think my dad will know it's from me. He'll try to track it down. And if he doesn't think it was me, he'll consider it suspicious and probably won't use it."

"Suit yourself. You know your father better than me."

So the gold had all gone to Astrid's reserves, wherever those may be, and to this party. And now he found himself once again thinking about his situation and everything that had happened, which was honestly depressing, but impossible not to do. He'd never seen Astrid without a clear, solid plan, and that made him nervous. She'd promised to find a solution, but sometimes the gods just didn't let people have their way.

The sudden sound of footsteps behind him almost made him jump, which, in hindsight, was stupid. He should've known that Astrid would notice him missing. She didn't say anything as she sat down next to him and watched the moon.

"Too many people?" she asked after a while.

He shrugged. "Eh, not in the mood for celebrating, you know?"

She nodded. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, it's fine. Stay."

It was silent for some time. Eventually, she spoke again.

"Hiccup... Look, I know you're worried, and you have every reason to be, but..." She hesitantly touched his hand with hers. "I promised I'd find you a way out, and I will. Viggo isn't perfect. There is a way to get to him, and I'll discover what it is."

"I know", he smiled wryly. "You've only told me a thousand times since all this happened."

"Yes, but sometimes it seems like you need reminding."

"It's just..." he sighed and looked down at their hands. "Yeah, Viggo isn't perfect, but neither are you. You're also human. You can make mistakes too. Nobody wins all the time, Astrid. What if this time, it's your turn to lose? _Our_ turn? What if I end up being convicted?"

He hadn't meant to reveal so much of his doubts to her, but it was too late now. When a couple of seconds passed and she hadn't answered, he looked up to find her staring at him.

"I know I can't ask you to stop thinking like that", she began. "It's how you feel, and you can't just get rid of feelings. So instead, let me ask you this: do you trust me?"

"Of course", he answered without hesitation.

"Then trust me on this."

"I do."

"Well, you do a Hel of a job concealing it" she replied dryly, removing her hand. He grinned.

"Sorry. I'm not saying you can't do it, it's just..."

"Hiccup, I get it. You don't have to apologise."

There was some more silence. Eventually, he decided that he'd had enough negative thoughts for today.

"I'm going back", he announced.

"Wait." Astrid looked like she had something on her mind.

"What is it?"

"There's... something I should probably tell you. It's about your dad."

He felt himself go tense. "What about him?"

"He's looking for you."

"Well, duh. You told me that he would, remember?"

"I mean he's..." she stared at the moon. "Being pretty aggressive about it. More than I expected."

"What happened? Did you see him?" He felt anxiousness creeping back up his mind.

She shook her head. "Not me. Eret did. He was running an errand for me, and saw him in a bar."

"And how was he... being aggressive? I wouldn't expect my dad to go about this nicely."

"He was threatening people", she explained. "Eret says he was at the back of the tavern, holding a boy against the wall who couldn't have been older than fifteen, screaming at him to tell him everything. When the boy said he didn't know anything, your father punched and kicked him, and then left."

Hiccup frowned. Astrid was right, his dad wouldn't treat someone so young like that.

"If you want, I can call Eret over here and he can tell you in detail."

He considered this, and then decided that this would be the closest he'd get to his dad in a long time. He nodded. "All right."

"Wait here." She got up and left. A few minutes later, she returned with the man in question, who sat down next to him. Astrid remained standing by a tree.

"So", Eret began, "Hofferson says you want to know about your father?"

Hiccup nodded cautiously. "Please."

"Very well, this is what I saw."

* * *

 _Eret was sitting down at a table, waiting for the trader to show up, his back to the door. The man already knew him; he'd recognise him without seeing his face. He mindlessly sipped his drink while people drifted in and out. A few women approached him, but he dismissed them with a smile and an apology._

 _Suddenly, a loud crash was heard as the door was opened violently. Everyone, including Eret, turned around at the noise to find a large, red-headed man who didn't look very happy. He said nothing as he walked to the bar, people's stares on him. He asked for a tankard and remained there, glancing around with a murderous expression. Most of the tavern's customers went back to their business, but Eret kept an eye on the man. He had no idea of who he was, but he didn't like the look of him._

 _Eventually, the trader came in. He started for Eret's table, when he spotted the man at the bar. He blanched before quickly making a beeline for his destination._

" _Sorry I'm so late", he said breathlessly as he sat down. "I had to be extra careful."_

" _That's okay, Igor."_

" _No, listen. Hofferson should watch out, too. Apparently there are a lot of chiefs and their people going around our usual places, questioning people and doing searches."_

" _What for?" he asked, pretending to be ignorant. Everyone in the organisation knew that Hofferson's involvement with Hiccup Haddock, whatever it was, had to remain secret._

" _You know what happened at the Thing, don't you?"_

 _Eret shrugged. "I heard some tribe heir killed another one, or something like that."_

" _Yes, that's pretty much what happened. But the one killed was Holger's son, so he's extremely pissed and turning every stone to find the culprit. Hence, the searches. For example, you saw that man with the huge red beard at the bar?"_

 _He nodded. "He made quite the entrance."_

" _Well, that is none other than Stoick Haddock."_

" _The leader of the Hooligan tribe?"_

" _The same. And the murderer was his son. I imagine he's looking for him. No wonder he looks so angry. Stay away from him."_

" _Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks for the advice, Igor. Now, the weapons?"_

 _The deal was successfully completed, although Igor glanced fearfully at Stoick every now and then. Once it was finished, he left immediately, but Eret stayed behind, watching Hiccup Haddock's father. Hofferson would probably want to know what the man was up to._

 _At one point, a boy who Eret knew worked here sat down next to Stoick. The two men started talking, and from what he could see, the elder was threatening the other. When they walked out of the bar, he silently followed them, making sure to remain unseen. Stoick dragged the boy towards the back of the bar and slammed him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Eret couldn't hear clearly, but the words "my son" and "regret it" were repeated several times. The boy was screaming that he didn't know anything, although it was useless. After a while, Stoick punched the boy in the face, hard. Eret winced as he heard the crunch of a nose breaking. Blood splattered on the floor. The red-haired man walked away then, kicking him once in the stomach for good measure._

 _Eret waited until he had left to help the boy to his feet so he could nurse his wounds. If this was Hiccup Haddock's father, he wouldn't want to cross him._

* * *

"And you say this boy was innocent?" Hiccup asked with an uneasy feeling.

Eret nodded. "Completely. His mother, who works there, makes sure to keep him out of anything, so as to protect him. Besides, he's so... small. Unthreatening. Not the kind of person you'd attack."

Hiccup decided not to mention that that was a good description of _him_. "And he just... beat him up?"

"Like I said, he was pretty mad."

"Okay", Astrid, who hadn't spoken a word, intervened. "I think that will be all. Thank you, Eret." The man nodded and, getting up, left. Astrid sat down next to him.

"You knew this would happen. He was obviously going to look for you."

"Yes, but not like this. Just blindly accusing people?"

"He's not thinking straight, which in his situation makes sense."

" _I'm_ in a pretty bad situation, and I'm not acting like that, I think."

"Because _I_ make sure to give you a good dose of reality when you get stupid." She smiled. "If your father is doing this alone, it's no wonder he's half crazy."

"Half crazy is one thing. Attacking people without cause..." Sure, like most Vikings, he enjoyed a fight every now and then, but always with someone his size. Not a defenceless person.

"He wants to find you, through any means necessary."

"But if it's like you say, if he has nobody to hold him back..."

She sighed. "Then I guess he'll keep escalating until he attacks someone in broad daylight and gets sent to a dungeon for a few days. That will probably knock some sense into him."

"Was that supposed to comfort me?" he asked dryly.

"Admittedly, not my best effort. But it's the truth."

Hiccup sighed.

"At least nobody knows you're with me, other than him."

He frowned. "What do you mean? People definitely saw us leave."

"They only saw you leave with someone. And according to Eret, our trader didn't hear that I was involved, or he would've mentioned it. So the rumour didn't spread."

"Why is that?"

"My guess is that Holger and the other chiefs just don't believe your father. So nobody knows."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Definitely. A lot of people would come after you if word that you're with me got out."

"Again, not very comforting."

She chuckled. "I guess today's not my day. Come on, let's get back. I think you could use some cheering."

"I guess so." He let her lead him back to the gathering. For the rest of the night, he tried to forget about what was happening and simply enjoy the company of others like him.

He wasn't entirely successful.

* * *

 **A/N: The night that Hiccup mentions, because I doubt you'll remember it ( _I_ didn't, lol), is when Astrid almost got raped.**

 **Also, I'm not sure I made it entirely clear here, but people (other criminals especially) don't actually know that Hiccup is with Astrid, because the villagers who saw her were too far to recognise her, and Holger didn't really believe Stoick's story. So nobody ever spread that rumour.**


	17. Taken

**A/N: The site has been acting up lately. Between yesterday and today I got like six emails of old reviews that I had already seen but never been alerted of, and I'm pretty sure that there was no alert sent for last chapter. Hopefully now things will work.**

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay for us to come with you?" Hiccup asked for what had to be the hundredth time. He really did want to do this, and he was sure so did Toothless, but not if he was putting everything at risk.

"Hiccup, it's fine", Astrid reassured him. "You guys are going to go crazy if all you do is sit around in my island. I bet Toothless misses going on a nice, long flight."

"We can deal with feeling restless, if we have to."

"I know, but like I've told you, we're going to a place that has plenty of other wanted people like you. Nobody will be rushing to call the chiefs, exactly."

"What about people finding out that I'm with you?"

"That's why you and Toothless will be staying outside." She must've noticed that he was going to continue to question her, because she added, "Look, Hiccup, it's a very simple errand I have to run. If there were any risk at all, do you really think I would let you come with me?"

Hiccup sighed. "No. You'd probably keep me locked if you had to."

She grinned. "Let's hope we don't have to resort to that."

With that, they mounted their dragons and left for the island where Astrid had to do... whatever this was about. She hadn't told him and he hadn't asked; it wasn't important. When she'd come to him, suggesting that he go with her, he'd felt relieved. He had been on Astrid's island for over a week now, and while the company was by no means unpleasant, there was only so much sitting and talking he could do. He'd never been one to stay still for very long, after all. Back when Berk fought dragons, he was always getting out during raids and trying to handle weapons that were way too big for him. And when that era was over, he was usually out on Toothless a good portion of the day. He loved the freedom of the open skies; that was where he belonged, and going too long without flying made him feel antsy.

Even so, he was perfectly aware there was a good reason for him to stay on the island, and he didn't want to put himself, or Toothless, at risk. He hated to admit it, but Astrid and Viggo were playing a game far above his usual level. It made him feel useless, like he wasn't in control of his fate. Still, he understood that staying put and letting Astrid do her thing would be best for him.

They arrived with the last rays of sun and landed in the forest (Astrid preferred to keep the dragons hidden; they were the ace under their sleeves, she said). Walking into the village, Hiccup noticed that it was obviously a pirates' place, if the way the people dressed (and stank) said anything. It was like Astrid told him; none of them would give him up to Holger and the others. It was a weird sort of comfort, to think that, in a way, he was now like them. He believed himself to be above them, but to other people's eyes, he definitely wasn't.

When they reached the tavern that was their destination, Astrid told him to wait outside, while she went in.

"Stay out of sight, if you can", she warned him. "Pirates are easily tempted. I don't want one of them trying to attack you."

He took heed of her advice and went to the alley next to the tavern, standing behind a cart that mostly hid him from view. Truth be told, he felt awfully exposed; some of the men who walked by on the street looked vicious, and even downright murderous. He admired Astrid for being completely unfazed by them. Then again, she was probably used to this. Still, he wouldn't want to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary. He had Inferno on him, should he need to defend himself, but he'd rather not use it. Such a sword was sure to attract attention, and the last thing he needed was for somebody to remember him.

He waited for a couple of tense minutes, jumping at the slightest sound, trying to pay attention to everyone around him. The darkness was both an ally and a foe. He really hoped that nobody would come out the back of the tavern and catch him unawares, or throw something at him from one of the windows above. He wished Toothless were with him. Would his dragon hear him shout from this distance? But if he didn't want to remain on people's minds, that would be even worse, he realised.

Time passed by, and Hiccup was starting to get worried. At least ten minutes had elapsed since Astrid had gone in. Although she'd assured him it would be quick, he didn't know how long that was supposed to be. Maybe the person she was meeting with was late? Maybe they had raised their prices, and so Astrid was haggling. Or maybe –he hoped not- she'd got in trouble with the pirates... But if that were the case, he probably would've heard some shouting and smashing inside.

When twenty minutes had gone by and Astrid still hadn't shown up, Hiccup could take it no longer. He walked in, hand on the hilt of Inferno. Everyone at the bar seemed to stop what they were doing to stare at him. He forced himself not to stare back at anyone and continue towards the bar. He could practically hear Astrid's voice in his mind, telling him to be casual if he didn't want to be noticed. As he sat down on a stool, he realised with relief that people went back to whatever they were doing.

"What d'you want?" the old man behind the bar grumbled. Hiccup blinked.

"Uhh... the best ale you've got", he replied, in as steady a voice as he could manage in his current situation. Luckily, he had some coins that Astrid had given him. "You never know when you might need it", she'd told him. And by Thor, had she been right.

The man didn't reply, just moved around the bottles for a while until he procured a tankard that he slammed in front of Hiccup. The latter slid some coins on the table and took the drink. While he sipped, he scanned the room as discreetly as he could. All he could see were men's faces; not even a single woman. A few people wore hooded cloaks, but Astrid hadn't been carrying one, so he knew it couldn't be her.

A sense of panic began to mount inside him. Where _was_ she? There was no upper floor, so there was no private room she could've gone to. He looked around again, paying more attention this time, without caring if people noticed or not, but it was clear she wasn't here. Why would she leave without telling him?

He wondered if he should ask the old man whether he had seen anything. He found it hard to believe he'd get any help, but at this point, he was feeling pretty desperate. He turned around to ask, when a glint of colour near the back door caught his eye. He leaned a little closer and confirmed what he saw; it was a pouch with a blue button.

He took a deep breath and put his hand over his mouth, hoping he'd be convincing.

"Excuse me", he groaned, "can I use your backdoor? I think I'm about to-" he gagged. Hiccup wasn't sure the man would buy it, but apparently he didn't care, because he nodded and went back to his business. The rider staggered off the stool and went to the door, pretending to fall down so that he could pick up the pouch. Once he was out, he inspected it. The blue button was actually a Deadly Nadder scale, and he only knew one person who owned such an item.

Which meant that Astrid had most definitely been taken.

The panic that had been rising in his mind was now overwhelming. What was he supposed to do now? Where could she be? What had happened to her? Even worse, if something bad _had_ happened to her, who would help him out of his situation? With nobody to confront Viggo Grimborn, there was no hope of finding the woman who could prove his innocence. He'd end up going to jail, and worst of all, his father would be horribly disappointed, _again_.

 _This is bad, this is really, really bad..._

The back door slamming closed brought him out of his reverie. The old man tending the bar had come out.

"You can't stay here all day. I've got business to do here."

This reminded Hiccup that, right now, he was in hostile territory. He needed to get away.

Toothless. He had to get to Toothless.

"I, uh, I'll go", he blurted, and then walked away as quickly as he could without actually running. Once he was relatively out of sight, he began sprinting towards the forest, and didn't stop until he found the dragons.

"Hi", he gasped. His lungs were burning from the lack of air. Toothless looked concerned, while Stormfly seemed frantic. She was looking for her rider.

"I don't... know... where... she is", he panted. The Nadder squawked in distress, and he tried to shush her. "It's... okay..."

Suddenly he found himself being slapped on the head by something heavy. He turned to find Toothless' tail up and ready to strike again.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. The Night Fury rolled his eyes and nodded towards Stormfly, then the village. When Hiccup didn't react, he repeated the gesture, and the boy understood.

"You want me... to go find her?" The dragon nodded. "But I don't even know..." Toothless' tail rose again. "Okay, okay! Just let me think..."

Now that he was safe, he was able to calm down and control the panic that had seized his mind. He had allowed himself to get lost in it, and consequently been unable to think clearly.

 _Get a grip. Nobody's after you right now. Think. Where could Astrid be?_

He considered this. Basically, there were only two options; either she was still here, on the island, or she'd been taken away somewhere. If the latter was true, there was just one way that could've happened, and that was by boat. So how did he figure out which one was right?

Stormfly squawked again, and he realised that the Nadder was a tracking dragon. She'd be able to help. The problem was that he was sure to attract attention if he walked around with her. They'd have to wait a couple of hours, until it was too cold outside for the pirates to be doing business and the port was closed. Waiting seemed like a daunting prospect, and yet... where was he supposed to start looking? He could get help from Astrid's organisation, he guessed, but that would take even longer.

Time had never passed so slowly, and over the course of it, he tried (and failed) not to fret about everything that could've happened. Was Astrid being tortured? Or worse, were they (whoever _they_ were) planning to kill her? If it did turn out she'd been taken away, what would he do? Eventually, he decided it was cold and dark enough that the risk of being seen was low.

"Come on, guys", he said, and walked with the dragons to the edge of the village. Once there, he turned to his Night Fury.

"Follow us at a distance, okay, bud?" The Night Fury huffed. He turned to the Nadder. "Stormfly", he continued, "let's find Astrid."

He wasn't sure the dragon understood such a command, but apparently she did, because she brought her snout to the floor and began sniffing. He led her to the bar, where Astrid had last been. Stormfly paused for a moment, caught her rider's scent, and began walking so fast Hiccup almost had trouble keeping up. Well, he thought, at least the trail was clear. He followed the dragon until they reached the port. She stopped again, before heading down one of the docks and making a distressed noise.

 _So this is where she was taken away_ , he mused. _Now what?_

He thought for a moment and the answer came to him. If he wanted to find out where she was, he needed to figure out _who_ had taken her. He had to know whose ship had been here at nightfall. And for that, he had to find whoever was in charge here. Fortunately, this place being a pirate village meant that getting in touch with the dock manager had to be easy, and there was a sign nearby showing his house. Hiccup headed down that way, ensuring Stormfly followed. Once he found the right hut, he knocked on the door and a weathered old man answered.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"Are you in charge of the docks?"

"Yes, Thor have mercy on me. What do you want?"

"I want to know who was in the dock by the rocks when dusk came."

"Not this again", he grumbled. "Look", he said louder, "I can't control the people who come in. If your boat gets torn to pieces because some crazy trader lady likes to ram into other people's docks instead of finding her own, I can't stop that. So don't come to me with you complaints. Got it?"

Hiccup's mind was racing. By the way the man was talking, he knew exactly _who_ had been in that particular dock, a troublesome person. He needed to find out more.

"Can I at least get directions to this crazy trader lady, then? So I can take the matter to her directly?"

The man scoffed. "What, you think I know everyone that comes in here? All I get are people's names. I know she calls herself Pam, and that's the only thing I can tell you. Maybe another trader will have more details..." He trailed off. "Jan is here tonight, he might be able to help you. You should go see him at Mead Hut. He's often there." His brow furrowed. "Now get out!"

And with _that_ pleasant farewell, the man slammed the door shut. Hiccup was stunned for a moment, before backing up, almost smiling. That had been better than expected. Now all he needed to do was get to Mead Hut –which, now that he recalled, was where he and Astrid had gone- and find this Jan. Without further ado, he walked back the way he'd come, Stormfly still trailing behind him.

He was lucky; he was walking past the back door on his way to the main entrance when he noticed two men standing there, apparently exchanging something.

"Much appreciated, Jan", one of them said, and quickly ran away, not even noticing Hiccup. He smiled and approached.

"Hey, Jan", he greeted. The trader, a nervous-looking man that reminded him of Johann, looked at him wearily.

"Hello, stranger", he replied cautiously. "And you are...?"

"Not important. What _is_ important is that you tell me where to find Pam. She's one of you."

"Pam?" Jan blinked. "She's unpredictable and dangerous, that one. Why would you want to...?"

"Doesn't matter", he cut him off, voice hardening. "Just tell me where she is."

"Um... she's a member of our brethren. It wouldn't be right for me to..."

Hiccup whistled, and Stormfly, who'd been standing out of Jan's sight, walked into view, tail raised and spikes ready.

"That's a Nadder?" The dragon growled, and Jan paled. "Never mind. What was it? Oh, yes, Pam's location. Um..." The man searched the bag he carried and, after a few seconds, produced a parchment. "This map leads to the island where she lives. I don't know exactly where..."

"That's fine", Hiccup interrupted, taking the map. "Let _me_ worry about that. Thank you."

"Most welcome", Jan said gracefully. "I-I apologise if I seem a little off, but it's been a weird day, you know? My first client not showing, now this..."

"Wait", Hiccup said, his mind making some connections it hadn't done before. "Your first client?"

"Yes, my first client. It was strange, too, she never disappears like this..."

"Was it, by any chance, Astrid Hofferson?"

Jan gaped at him. "How could you possibly know that?"

Hiccup stared at the man. He wondered what the odds of this happening were, but then again, probably not many traders dared to come to a pirate island. He wondered whether he should tell him, and decided that maybe Jan would give him more information now that he knew they had something in common.

"Because I'm looking for her. She disappeared, like you said. And I think Pam has something to do with it."

"Hmm. Pam does trade slaves every now and then, but I never imagined..." He trailed off. "One more thing, then. When she's on that island, she's usually at the Whore's Den, drinking. You'll probably find her there."

Hiccup nodded. The gods had favoured him this time. He started walking away. He did his dragon call, and in a couple of seconds Toothless showed up. Jan stepped back.

"A Night Fury", he said, mesmerised. "Never thought I'd see one."

"Well, now you have", Hiccup answered, climbing on his dragon. "Thank you again."

"Good luck!" Jan called out as Toothless and Stormfly rose in the sky.

 _I'm going to need it_ , he thought.

* * *

The first thing Astrid noticed was a throbbing pain in her head, one she'd felt many times before. She knew exactly what had caused it; having her head hit hard enough to knock her out. Whatever situation she was in, it was problematic.

Slowly, she blinked until she could keep her eyes open. She was in a small, dark room, and she was lying down.

And standing in front of her were two women and a boy who looked younger than them, staring down at her with not-very-friendly expressions. A third woman was sitting behind them, trying to look threatening.

"Morning, sunshine", one of the first women smirked.

 **A/N: DUN DUN DUNN! This is going to be fun... (for me. Not for them)**


	18. Rescuers down under

For a few moments, it was silent. Astrid just stared at the group, gauging the situation. As far as she could tell, she was lying on a thin fur in one corner of a darkened room. It didn't bode well for her, but she'd been in worse trouble, too. She wouldn't say a word until she knew what kind of people she was dealing with. And for that, she needed more information.

"What are you, some kind of protector of pirate's boats?" the first woman continued at last. "An axe isn't very effective against a sword, you know." She raised Astrid's axe into view. "But it's still a pretty good weapon, I'll tell you that."

"What do you reckon we should do with her, Goldie?" the boy asked, clutching the shoulders of the woman, behind whom he was standing. So those two were a thing of sorts. Astrid filed this for later. Goldie (who was appropriately named, considering her blonde hair) didn't reply, but the other woman who was standing did.

"I say we beat her bloody until she spills. Maybe use those new knives we got." The brunette's face was cruel, matching her words. It was a real threat. Not that Astrid was overly worried about it.

"I think she's cute", the boy continued. He reached for her, but the brunette beat his hands away.

"Don't touch the goods, you idiot!" The boy instantly jumped back behind Goldie.

"I wasn't going to do anything", he protested weakly. The blonde patted his hand.

"Leave him be, Audhild", she told the brunette. "Tacitus was just checking her. Nothing wrong with that."

Astrid watched them, replaying their conversation in her head.

"So let me see if I can guess how this works", she started, managing to sit up in the fur. "You lure drunk pirates and force them to tell you where they hide their treasures. Once you're sure you've found all the gold they have, you leave them stranded somewhere."

"Pretty much", Goldie smiled. "But, uh, whether you're alive or not when we leave you stranded depends entirely on how polite you are."

"I like your hood", the third woman, the one who'd been sitting behind them, spoke. Her voice was soft, nothing like the others. She was clearly new to the group. "Must have cost quite a bit."

Astrid sighed. She'd traded that hood for a pendant made with Stormfly's scales, and it was one of the few indulgences she'd ever allowed herself. "No doubt worth considerably less now."

The woman got up and made to attack her, but Goldie stopped her, laughing.

"I like this one", she said. "I like her style." She picked up a bunch of gold that had undoubtedly come from Astrid's pouch (which she now noticed she wasn't carrying). "Like her gold."

"There's more than that", Astrid smiled, "if we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."

The other woman chuckled. "Oh, really? Because the way I see it, you're not in any position to negotiate. So tell me, what's someone like you doing in that forsaken hole? You seem a bit more refined than that."

"That is entirely my business."

"It is, huh? See, I don't know anyone who carries these." Goldie leaned over and picked up something. A spine. A Nadder spine, clearly rearranged as a stake of sorts that could be thrown. Effective, and incredibly rare. They both knew that.

Astrid sighed. "I was wondering when we'd get to that."

"Well, we're getting to it now." The blonde went over to her and kicked her stomach hard, knocking the wind out of her. Her hurting head didn't much appreciate it. Nausea overcame her, but she fought it.

"You've got some explaining to do", Goldie growled.

* * *

Hiccup stepped forward into the tavern, looking around. The flight had been uneventful and quiet, save for Stormfly's sad whimpers, and now here they were. The dragons, understandably, had been more than a bit reluctant to leave him alone, considering what had happened. He'd ended up using dragon nip on the Nadder because he wasn't sure she wouldn't follow him into town.

To his relief, this island wasn't a pirates' nest like the previous one. It reminded him more of Gayle and Nemo's home, with people staring at him suspiciously as he walked by. He did see a few more unfriendly faces, but not enough to make him completely uncomfortable. At least, it didn't seem like anyone would try to murder him in broad daylight (though right now dawn was only beginning to break). The tavern seemed to have plenty of normal people, too.

It struck him that he hadn't actually asked about Pam's appearance, which was a problem. With all his anxiety about the situation, it had completely slipped his mind. He went in and started for the bar, but a woman stopped him.

"Hey, gorgeous", she smiled. She wore a gown that was far too revealing, and she didn't seem to care. "Looking to have fun?"

He was confused, and embarrassed, for a second, until he remembered the name of this place. _Whore's Den. Of course_.

"Uh, no, I, um, wasn't looking for that, actually. But thanks." He forced himself to smile and continue walking towards the bar. Thankfully, nobody else tried anything, and he was able to sit down and order ale without further inconvenient.

Once he got his drink, he began sipping it as he considered his problem. He didn't actually know if Pam was here. He could ask, he supposed, but that wouldn't be exactly subtle, and he wanted to go as unnoticed as possible.

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud noise of someone slamming their tankard on the wood. He looked up to notice a red-headed woman smiling as she sat down next to him.

"Hey", she said. "I saw you reject Honey over there. Why did you do that? She's one of the best around here, everyone says that."

He shrugged. "Not interested."

"Because she's a whore?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's not that, and what's it to you anyway?" he asked her. She seemed too preoccupied with the subject. The redhead grinned.

"Because I want to know whether I have a shot, or if you're... you know... _not_ into girls."

It took him a moment to understand the full implications of that sentence, and when he did, he couldn't stop the blush that spread over his face.

"No, I _am_ , uh, into girls, as you put it. Just... not looking for that right now."

"Then what _are_ you looking for? That's all men think about. Unless..." She brightened. "Oh, are you a trader? Because I'm in that business, too."

"Really?" he asked, with more interest. Maybe this woman could give him some information. He was going to question her, but there was no need to.

"Really." She held out her hand to him. "I'm Pam. And you are?"

For a moment, he just stared at her. It seemed the gods were still on his side, after all. Now he had to handle this carefully. He put on a smile.

"Hiccup."

* * *

Astrid stretched out her neck, trying to see what was going on through the window. When she'd first woken up, she'd thought she was in a closed room. Now, however, she could see that wasn't the case; it had simply been night, so no light came in. Plus, she'd still been in a daze then. At the moment, the sun wasn't visible yet, but the sky was a bit clearer. Just like her head, she thought.

The four people who'd taken her here were now outside, talking. Arguing about what exactly they were going to do with her, no doubt. They seemed pretty distracted, so she took the chance to consider her surroundings, and especially her bonds. Her feet and hands were tied with rope. If she could find something sharp to cut them, she'd be free. But there was nothing in the room that she could use as a weapon, so escaping would be a bad idea. She was fairly certain that Goldie, or someone else, had her axe. She needed to trick them into giving it to her. If they thought her hands were tied, and she made them get close enough...

 _Good plan. But I need to cut my ropes with something._

Then she remembered the tiny piece of jagged metal she carried inside the binding in her arm. Its slimness made it easy to conceal, but also easily breakable. It was something for an emergency. She'd never had use for it before; she'd grabbed it from Birger's father's forge, and she'd always kept it. And as the years went by, in her eyes it became less of a weapon and more of a memento of simpler times, which made her more reluctant to use it. However, she didn't really have much of a choice. She had to get out; her people were waiting for her.

 _Hiccup._

Her eyes widened. In the wake of everything that had happened, she hadn't been able to think about who she'd left behind. He must have been waiting for her, and then... and then what? What had he done, she wondered? Because he obviously must have realised that something was wrong. However, he'd had no leads, or at least not that she knew of. Had he gone back to her people for backup? Had he talked to some of the pirates at the tavern? Perhaps he'd had Toothless threaten them...

She didn't know, but in any case, it was all the more reason for her to get going. She looked back at her tied up hands. Her arms were pressed together in such a way that it'd be impossible for her to get the metal out. Her feet would be no use either. She had to find something at her level that she could rub her arm against and make the metal go up...

The chair on which one of the women had been sitting. That should do it. It wasn't very far from her. She got on her knees and shuffled towards it. Once there, she had to struggle for a while, pushing her arm against the chair, feeling where the piece of metal was exactly and trying to make it move. And every two seconds, she had to check the window to make sure her captors weren't coming. Finally, after a few minutes, the piece clattered to the floor. She twisted her arms to grab it and quickly got back to her original place.

 _Okay. Phase one complete._

Now she had to cut her ropes. Easier said than done, though. For a moment, she tried to twist her hand and slice, but she immediately realised it would be impossible. What she needed, she thought, was to put the metal somewhere so she could scrape her wrists against it. She looked around and soon spotted a slit in the wood of the wall. _Perfect_. With some difficulty, she managed to stick the piece between two planks.

It was even harder to cut her ropes than it had been to get the metal out. The little piece kept getting deeper into the wood, and she had to pull it out every few seconds. But slowly, ever so slowly, the ropes gave, until she was able to break them fully. She got the metal out and considered untying her feet, but immediately discarded it. Even though she could keep her hands behind her back, there was no way to hide her feet. That would have to wait until she got her axe or some other weapon. Of course, that would put her in a vulnerable position if they attacked her. She'd have to wait to get one of them alone. So she tucked the –now completely mangled- piece of metal back into her wrapping and leaned back against the furs.

She didn't have to wait long, though. Soon, one of them, the woman who had been sitting when she first woke up, came in. Astrid noticed that she carried a knife. It wasn't her axe, but it'd do. These people caught drunk pirates, after all; no reason for them to be particularly skilled at fighting.

It was silent for a couple of minutes. The woman seemed to be amused by her, and eventually she spoke.

"I'm Gerd."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "And this is important to me how?"

"Well, I just told you my name. It's only fair for you to tell me yours now, isn't it?"

The blonde just smirked. "And why would I do that? Why would I give you my name? You need to learn how to negotiate."

Gerd stepped closer to her. "Well, it's like Goldie said. _You_ aren't in a position to-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. She'd stepped closer to Astrid, and the latter's hands shot up from behind her and grabbed the hand that held the knife, twisting it. Gerd doubled over in pain, and Astrid took the chance to kick her leg, making her drop down. The blonde took the knife and quickly sliced through her feet's ropes. She made to get up, but Gerd jumped on her. It was a bad idea, as Astrid still had the knife. All she had to do was thrust out, and the other woman quickly found the weapon impaled in her gut. She fell, groaning, and Astrid stood up, taking the bloody knife and examining it critically.

"You _are_ aware that you need to sharpen and repair these from time to time, right?" she asked, noticing the poor state of the blade. It would make fighting with it harder, but not impossible. She went to the door, leaving Gerd writhing on the floor, and carefully opened the door, peeking out. There seemed to be nobody around. She stepped out and was walking away when she heard the tell-tale noise of a crossbow being loaded.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", Goldie growled.

* * *

Pam was giggling almost uncontrollably. "Oh, that's hilarious!" she said. Hiccup wasn't entirely sure if her laugh was real or not, but it didn't matter, he guessed. Pam seemed to like him, and that was a positive thing. "I can't believe he did that!"

"Yep, that's my cousin", he smiled. The conversation had only revolved around Pam's trade business for a couple of minutes before she'd changed to more private topics. When she'd asked him about his life, he remembered Astrid's advice from so long ago, when they were going to go undercover, that he should invent as little as possible. So he'd entertained her with stories about Snotlout and the twins, making sure to keep the dragons out of it.

Pam downed what was left of her drink, and her smile turned mischievous. "I've got an idea", she said. "Why don't we take this back to my house?"

Her expression made it clear that she didn't mean _talking_.

"Uh... sure." He tried to smile back. The idea made him extremely nervous. He had to remind himself that he needed to find Astrid, and this was the best way. His feelings must have shown in his face, though, because her eyebrows raised.

"You seem nervous."

"I am", he admitted. "I, uh, have never done... this."

"This?"

"Coming to a tavern alone. Going to the house of a woman I don't know. My father is pretty overbearing." It wasn't entirely a lie. His dad would have an attack if he ever heard of what he was doing right now.

"Then how did you get out?"

"Well, I came here to trade things. He trusts me to do that."

"Oh, but we _are_ going to do that, sweetie. Don't you worry." She got off her seat and Hiccup did the same. The woman winked. "After we do _other_ things." The rider blushed, and her smile grew bigger. "Oh, you're blushing? That's adorable. This is going to be fun."

Gathering his courage, he smiled back and followed her outside.

* * *

 **A/N: I must say, I have a lot of fun writing trying-to-be-seductive Hiccup :P**

 **Sorry this took so long. And on that topic, I just got the rubric for a project that's going to be kinda long, so the next couple of updates might also be delayed. But I'll do my best to keep on schedule :)**


	19. Play the game

**A/N: I'm back! Good news, I've finished the project, or at least my part, so we should be back to a more frequent schedule now.**

* * *

They hadn't walked for longer than a minute when Pam suddenly grabbed Hiccup's arm and pulled him between two houses. He was going to ask her what she was doing, but didn't manage to do so before she stepped closer and yanked his head down to hers. For just a second, he froze as unfamiliar lips moved over his, before realising that he needed to keep the charade going. So he kissed her back, with a little more confidence than the last time he'd done this... Oh Thor, the last time he'd done this... _no, don't think about it_ , he told himself. _Focus on the now. She likes you. Make sure it stays that way, until she's told you what you want to know_.

It sickened him, in a way, that he was using her like this. But she was a trader who had no problem kidnapping someone. What he was doing wasn't half as bad. Although she probably wouldn't see it that way... What if she figured him out? She wasn't going to be exactly happy, maybe she'd get violent. And if that happened, he needed a back-up plan.

Toothless. He needed Toothless nearby, ready to intervene. But how could he manage that? He had to excuse himself for a moment and go talk to him.

With all these thoughts running through his head, he'd got a little distracted. Apparently Pam didn't like that, for she pushed him against the wall and pressed herself against him, kissing him harder. It was clear she wanted his full attention. He complied, trying to focus on the mechanics of what he was doing and nothing else, because if he thought too much, he'd get too uncomfortable.

Finally, she let go of him and smirked, licking her lips.

"So?" she asked. "How was that?"

He managed a breathless smile. "Good", he replied.

"Just good?"

"Well..." He quickly thought of how to cover his slip. "I don't have a lot of experience. I can't really judge."

"Are you serious?" She looked incredulous. "Are the women in your town blind or what?"

"Uh... what?"

"You're hot", she informed him plainly, making him blush. "How can girls not want to kiss you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Umm, thanks, but, it's not... not like that."

"It is", she insisted, and smirked again. "Guess I'll just have to convince you of it."

He smiled back. "Good luck with that."

"Oh, is that a challenge? Come on then." She stepped out of the narrow space they were in and began walking, but he stopped her.

"Uh, could you wait here just a moment? I need... to check on something."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Nothing you have to worry about, it's just... I left a few items in the forest, and I want to make sure they're still there. My father would kill me if I lost them."

She frowned. "Why would you leave anything there?"

"I wasn't sure how safe the port was."

"Fair enough. Go." She smiled seductively. "I'll be here when you get back, don't you worry."

Hiccup had to force himself not to run away until he was fully out of Pam's sight. Once that happened, he didn't stop until he reached the dragons. Toothless crooned, concerned. Stormfly was still sleeping.

"Hey bud", he greeted breathlessly. "I need you to follow at a distance again, all right?" The Night Fury warbled. "If I call you, come right in. Try to be sneaky if you can." The full daylight wasn't going to help, but Toothless didn't need to hear that.

His dragon nudged his hand, and he petted his head. "Wish me luck", he said. Then he walked towards the village again.

* * *

The rope was so tight this time around, it was hurting Astrid's wrists. There would be some pretty nasty burns when she removed them. _If_ she got the opportunity to do so, that was. She still had the piece of metal with her, but after what had transpired, she doubted they'd be so foolish as to leave her alone again. Right now, the three women were in the room. Not that they were paying much attention to her.

"It hurts", Gerd moaned. "I need a healer."

Audhild was trying to stop the bleeding with a piece of clothing, while Goldie watched them. When the blonde caught Astrid, she'd dragged her back inside and discovered Gerd lying on the floor, bleeding. After tying her prisoner more securely, she'd called the third woman of the group in to try and remedy the situation. Obviously, it wasn't working.

"Easy now, Gerd", Goldie said. "Let Audhild fix you."

"Are you sure about that?" Astrid asked. "I think the knife may have hit something important, like your stomach-"

"Shut up!" Goldie snapped at her. Then she turned back to Gerd. "Don't listen to her. She's the one who stabbed you, remember?"

"Then again", Astrid continued, unperturbed, "if you bleed out, that's one less person to get a part of my gold." Dividing your enemies was always a good strategy, after all. If they killed each other, all the easier it would be for her to get out.

"I said _shut up_!" Goldie shouted. Gerd moaned again.

"Seriously", Audhild spoke up, "maybe we should get a healer. This seems serious."

"I'm freezing", Gerd wheezed out.

"You've lost too much blood", Astrid explained. "Your body is trying to keep warm, so-"

Goldie went over to her and kicked her stomach. The pain was nothing compared to the wind that was knocked out of her, and she gasped and coughed, trying to get air in. It was quiet for a few moments, and then Goldie spoke again.

"Okay. Go to the healer. You know how this goes. Paint over your faces, fake names, and once she's all done, get out as fast as you can."

There was no reply, but Astrid looked up in time to see Audhild leaving, carrying Gerd. A pair of boots entered her vision, and then Goldie's face.

"I think you need to mind that mouth of yours", she said. "Know so much about wounds? Well, then."

She took a rusted knife out of her belt and, without ceremony, plunged it right underneath her navel. Before she could register what had happened, the knife was pulled out again. Astrid felt a gasp escape her lips. The stab had been quick, almost unnoticeable, but the pain it left behind sure as Hel wasn't. Her eyes turned down to see her red shirt staining with a darker red. At least the darkness wasn't spreading very fast, so she wasn't bleeding a lot. That was good, though it did nothing to ease the suffering from her wound. She looked back up to see Goldie smirking.

"I bet you know what's happening in your body", she said. "Let's see you escape now, bitch."

And without another word, she turned around and walked away, leaving a bleeding Astrid behind.

* * *

Pam's house was on the outskirts of the village, which was fortunate; Toothless would be able to stay close by. It was small, but seemed normal enough; a table with a few chairs, a hearth with cooking instruments, and a staircase leading to what Hiccup assumed was her bedroom. Unless there was a secret door somewhere, there didn't seem to be any place where she might keep things that she didn't want to be found, like a person. Part of him had hoped that maybe there would be some clear clue to where Astrid was, but of course it was never that easy. He was going to have to coax that information out of her, it seemed.

"Do you like it?" Pam asked when they walked in.

"It's nice", he admitted.

"So, shall we take this upstairs?"

Hiccup did his best not to gulp. "Um... mind if we eat something first? I haven't had anything in a while."

"You're going to, very soon", she smiled, and he blushed. "But sure." She walked over to the hearth and put some bread. Once it was toasted, she grabbed some fruit and brought it to the table. While they ate, Hiccup asked about her trade. None of her answers indicated anything out of the ordinary, nor did she give up any possible location, and he was starting to get frustrated. He was trying to be subtle, but he was running out of both patience and time.

After they finished eating, they got up. Pam walked around the table to him and took his hand.

"Bedroom now?" she smirked.

Hiccup considered what could possibly happen if he accepted. Even if it turned out to be only a make-out session, the idea still made him nauseous. He'd had enough of kissing two-faced women for his lifetime. The act was over, he decided.

"No", he replied, pulling his hand from hers. He saw her face turn to confusion and then to surprise when he reached for Inferno, which was strapped to his leg. He turned it on and held it in front of him. Pam's expression was less afraid than he would've liked.

"What the...?"

"No more games. Where is Astrid?" Pam seemed confused, so he elaborated. "The blonde. Red shirt and a hood. You nabbed her at that pirates' island."

The woman's expression went blank for a moment, before turning into a sarcastic smile. "Ah, yes. I remember her. So let me guess, you're here to rescue your girlfriend and this was all a trap."

"She's not my..." He cut himself off when he realised there was absolutely no point in discussing that with her. "You're going to tell me where she is."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" She smirked. "From what I've seen, you don't have the guts."

"You don't know the real me."

"Oh, but I think I do. Go ahead, I dare you. Chop my arm off. Make me talk."

Hiccup hesitated, and in that split second she grabbed his sword arm and twisted it so the lit blade was dangerously close to his face. She then pushed him into the table and turned. When he saw her run for the door, clearly intending to escape, he quickly did his dragon call. Pam paused to stare at him for a second before continuing on her way. However, the moment she touched the doorknob, Toothless' answering growl stopped her on her tracks.

"What was that?" she asked, stepping back. It was a good thing she did, because in a matter of seconds the Night Fury burst the door open, growling menacingly. Pam was frozen for a second before she turned and tried to run the other way. Hiccup stood in front of her, blocking her; she shoved him to the side. He grabbed on to her arm as he fell, bringing her down with him. Toothless approached, glaring at the woman. She struggled with him, but when she saw the dragon, she whimpered and stayed still. Hiccup manoeuvred himself to sit on top of her, keeping her arms trapped underneath his legs.

"Now, as I was saying, where is Astrid?"

Pam gazed at Toothless for a while, then looked back at him.

"No, you can't kill me." She tried to smile, but was still too scared. "If you do, you'll never find out what happened to your Astrid."

Hiccup snorted. "If you die, there are other ways I could find out where she is. This one just happens to be the quickest. _Where is she?_ "

Pam shook her head. It was almost like she was trying to deny anything of what was going on. "No, you won't do it, you can't hurt me..."

Hiccup sighed and looked at Inferno, which was still in his hand, though he'd made the blade retreat. He hated himself for even contemplating the idea that was in his mind, but it seemed to be the only way. Going to Astrid's organisation for help would take far too long.

 _Just a little bit. Enough to make her talk. It's not that bad_ , he tried to convince himself.

Hoping she'd break down before he went too far, he flared Inferno back to life and slowly began to move it towards Pam's unprotected shoulder. She watched it with eyes that were mostly confident at first, but widened when Hiccup didn't stop. It wasn't until the flame made contact with her skin that she yelped.

"Ah! Okay, I'll tell you! Don't chop my arm off!"

He immediately pulled back, feeling something like nausea when he saw the raw, red skin that had been licked by his blade. He squashed it down, though; now was not the time to show doubt.

"Where?"

"There's a map hanging in my room. It has the location of our hideout here. That's where they brought her, last I heard."

"Okay. Toothless, don't let her move." He got off her and ran up the stairs, immediately finding the map. He went back down, scanning it. It was pretty clear. He looked at Pam sternly; she seemed terrified of Toothless.

"We're going now", he said. "But know this; dragons can track smells. If you're lying to us, we'll be on you faster than you can blink. Got it?" She nodded. "Good."

As he went to the door, she spoke again. "It's a real pity that this is all you were after. I really did like you."

Hiccup snorted and turned his head. "Well, considering you kidnapped my friend, the feeling's not mutual."

And then he was leaving, Toothless beside him. They run to where Stormfly was and, after waking her up, set off for the location marked on the map.

* * *

Astrid was fighting hard to keep her eyes open. Although the wound wasn't bleeding that much, she was still losing blood, and bit by bit her strength was fading. She knew that if she closed her eyes, she'd probably fall unconscious. And if she did, there was a good chance she wouldn't wake up again. So she blinked every time her eyes drooped.

It would help if there was something to distract her, something to see or someone talking to her. However, Audhild, who was currently in the room with her, seemed to have no interest in engaging in conversation. She was pacing the room, occasionally glancing out the window.

 _Huh._ She hadn't noticed that before. There must be something outside that was bothering her.

With much more effort than it should've taken, Astrid managed to stretch her neck enough to see that Goldie and Tacitus were there, looking at some parchment and laughing. Ah, so that's what this was.

"When's the last time you got any of that?" she asked. Speaking was a bit difficult, but it kept her awake. " _If_ you ever did."

Audhild stopped pacing and stared at her. "We share everything."

"Do you now? Goldie didn't seem too worried that Gerd might die."

Audhild snorted. "We can't just go in to a healer like that. You wouldn't understand."

"See, that's where you're wrong." She smiled. "As it happens, our operations are pretty similar, although mine works on a larger scale. Certainly cleaner. But if any of my people were bleeding out, I wouldn't put _my_ secrecy over _their_ lives."

Audhild took a knife from her pocket and stepped towards her. "Shut your mouth, or I swear I'll –"

"Kill me?" she finished. "That'll fix things. At least until Goldie and Tacitus decide that splitting gold between two is better than four." She didn't add that, if she stayed here much longer, death was going to be her fate anyway.

"Tell me something", she continued. "Do you trust Goldie?" Audhild was silent. "Do you trust her with your life?" she insisted.

Eventually, the other woman lowered her knife. She opened her mouth to speak, but never got the words out. A scream from outside caught both their attentions. When they saw what it was, Audhild gave a terrified gasp, while Astrid grinned.

Outside, Goldie and Tacitus were no longer visible to her, but she assumed they were lying unconscious on the floor. What she _could_ see, and clearly, was a Night Fury with a rider on its back and a Deadly Nadder.


	20. Healing

"What the _Hel_?" Audhild asked. Her hands were holding her knife in front of her, but they were trembling, betraying her fear. "How..."

"Dragons", Astrid spoke, "aren't the mindless beasts most people think they are." Audhild turned her head towards her. "They can be quite friendly, and you can even bond with them."

"No", the other woman replied. "That can't be..." She looked back outside and so did Astrid. Hiccup was staring down at the floor and saying something, probably to Toothless. Then he looked up and saw them through the window. He smiled for a second before frowning, and Astrid soon realised why. Although she was clearly still terrified, Audhild came closer to her and pressed the knife against her throat. Despite that, Astrid smiled at Hiccup. Persuading the woman to stop wouldn't be difficult at all.

Hiccup climbed off Toothless and in a second burst open the door, glaring daggers at Audhild, who tried to glare back.

"Let her go", he barked.

"If you want her, you're going to have to-"

"I said _let her go_ ", Hiccup interrupted, taking Inferno from his leg and lighting it on fire. Smart move, Astrid thought. Such a sword would scare most people. To her credit, although Audhild visibly flinched, she remained steadfast.

"Only if you give me something in return."

Before Hiccup could reply, Stormfly's head appeared in the doorway as she tried to get inside. The space was too small, though, and she could only squawk worriedly when she saw her rider injured.

"Hey girl", Astrid greeted softly. "I'm fine, don't worry." That wasn't necessarily true, but her Nadder was distressed enough as it was. Audhild looked between them in confusion, and Hiccup spoke again, looking confident.

"You want something in return? Fine", he gave a grin that, on anyone else, it would've sent shivers up Astrid's spine. "You let Astrid go, and you get to keep your life. If you don't, Stormfly here will have no problem ending it. Your choice."

"You're bluffing", Audhild declared, although her voice was shaking. "If she breathes fire at me, she'll hit _her_ , too", she said, nodding at Astrid. Hiccup's expression didn't change.

"Who said anything about _fire_?"

"Remember that Nadder spine you found?" Astrid interrupted. She then called her dragon's name and pointed above the woman's head. Stormfly understood and shot a single spine that landed on the wall right over Audhild's head. She froze.

"As you can see, she can fire one of those with great accuracy. So you let me go now, or the next one goes right between your eyes."

Audhild finally relented and stepped back. As soon as she did, Stormfly turned around so her tail was inside instead of her head and hit the woman hard, sending her flying across the room. Astrid heard a _crack_ that told her she'd banged her head against something and would probably be disoriented for a while. She looked up at Hiccup.

His eyes, which had been on Audhild, finally came to rest upon her. The relief that appeared on his face was short-lived and soon replaced with concern, and when he crouched down next to her and reached for her torso she remembered why. Oh, right. Her wound. She had almost forgotten about it. He started to lift her shirt, but the fabric was stuck to her skin due to all the dried blood, and she let out an involuntary hiss.

"Sorry!" he quickly let go. He watched the red stain warily. "How bad is it?"

"It's not that deep, I don't think, but it's been bleeding for a while. We may want to get a healer."

Hiccup nodded. "Do you need my help to get up?"

"I probably need you to untie me first", she grinned. He blushed slightly and looked at his leg, where he'd put his sword back.

"Not with that", Astrid said. "No offense, but I don't think a flaming sword right between my wrists is a good idea."

"No, you're right." He looked around and soon found the knife that Audhild had been carrying and that she'd dropped when Stormfly hit her. "How about this?"

"Much better." She rolled on her stomach to give Hiccup easier access to her hands.

"How long have you been here?" he asked her as he cut the ropes.

"Only a couple of hours. You were pretty fast." She smiled, although he couldn't see it. "That was impressive."

"Well, I got lucky", he replied, self-deprecating as usual. She was having none of that.

"I don't know what you did, but I know for a fact that luck alone couldn't have got you this far."

"You're right", he said as he finished with her feet. "I did do... um... some _things_."

Astrid turned around and saw him blushing. "What kind of things?" she asked strangely.

"The kind of things I _really_ don't want to talk about." Normally, Astrid would assume this meant he'd gone against his overly elevated moral code and hurt somebody, but his face told another story. He seemed embarrassed. What could possibly cause him to react like this?

And then she remembered how he'd acted when he told her about the Camicazi impersonator, and it hit her. "Hiccup? Does this have something to do with a woman?"

He looked at her, aghast, and she knew she was right. She grinned. "What did you do?"

"Do we _really_ have to talk about this? That wound looks bad. We should get you to a healer."

"I won't die if I wait one more minute. Come on. What did you do?"

Hiccup took a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"That bad?" He just stared. "I promise. Now out with it!"

"I, uh... There was this trader who I suspected had something to do with your disappearance, and I wanted her to spill. I approached her, not quite knowing how to ask subtly, and she, uh..."

"She started coming on to you."

"How did you guess?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. Really, Hiccup would probably never realise just how attractive he was. He seemed to get her meaning, because he continued. "Well, yeah, she did, and since I needed information, I... kind of went along with it."

Astrid grinned. "So you _seduced_ her? Those are some pretty advanced manipulation skills right there. Where did you learn that?"

Hiccup was mortified. "Stop! I didn't... I didn't _seduce_ -"

"Did you go to her house?"

He blushed even harder. "Yes", he admitted.

"Let me see, you went up to a woman you didn't know, chatted her up, then got her to bring you to her house... yeah, sounds like good old-fashioned seduction to me."

"Can we _please_ change the subject?"

Astrid chuckled and decided that she'd embarrassed him enough. "Yeah, all right." She grabbed the edge of a wall and tried to stand. She grimaced as pain shot through her abdomen, making it impossible to continue.

"Need a hand?" Hiccup asked, worry suffusing his voice.

"Please", she replied. She ended up putting an arm around his shoulders and letting him lift her. The height difference had her standing on her tip toes, but it would have to do. As he led her out of the room, she suddenly stopped.

"Wait", she said. "They took my axe, and a couple other things-"

"I'll come back for them once I get you to the healer", Hiccup offered. She considered this and decided that the other rider wouldn't let her wait much longer.

"Very well."

The moment she was outside, Stormfly run up to her, squawking as she bumped into her with her snout. Astrid laughed and wrapped her free arm around her.

"I'm happy to see you too, girl."

As she hugged her dragon, relief started flooding her as the realisation finally hit her that she'd be okay. That was a problem, however. Right now, because of her injury, her body was being sustained by the rush of energy that one often got when dealing with dangerous situations. If that energy drained, she wasn't sure she'd be able to even walk the distance to the healer. Which reminded her...

"Do you know where there's a healer around here?" she asked Hiccup, who looked puzzled.

"Uh... no, but-"

"They know", she said, nodding at Goldie and Tacitus, who were lying on the ground (she'd only just noticed them). "Ask one of them."

"Umm... I think Toothless beat them pretty hard. Wait a second." He carefully transferred the arm on his shoulders to Stormfly. Toothless, who'd been hanging back, came over to her and warbled, giving her his dragon version of a smile. Then he placed himself so she could lean against him, which she did gratefully. Hiccup walked back into the room and was out in less than a minute.

"Let's go."

Thankfully, the healer wasn't that far away, because walking was a painful experience for Astrid. Every time she put a foot down, it jostled her wound, but she grit her teeth and kept going. If Hiccup thought she couldn't do it, he'd undoubtedly pick her up and carry her, something that she wasn't a fan of. The last time it had happened, she'd been paralysed, so she hadn't exactly had a choice. However, she could walk now, and she would do it. Even if it hurt.

Eventually, they arrived and were called by the healer –a woman named Ragna – surprisingly quickly. What was even more unexpected, although in hindsight it shouldn't have been, was to see Gerd inside, among the recovering people. Astrid would have been content to ignore her, until she saw that she was still wearing the blonde's hood. She decided that she liked that hood too much to let her keep it.

"Gerd!" she called loudly. In response, the other woman looked up and flinched. She frowned at Hiccup, obviously trying to decipher who he was.

"You know her?" Ragna, who was there, asked. Hiccup looked equally surprised.

"Sure I do", she smiled sweetly at Gerd, who seemed confused. "I lent her that hood, actually. But now I'm afraid I'm going to need it back."

Gerd opened her mouth to speak, but Astrid sent her a glare that made her shrink back. _Don't you dare_ , she thought.

"Yes, sure. Here." The woman took off the hood and held it out. Hiccup stepped forward and grabbed it.

"Right", Ragna cleared her throat. "So, come here." She made Astrid lie down on a cot and lifted her shirt. When she saw the wound, she whistled lowly. "This is worse than I thought", she said. She looked up at Hiccup. "It's going to take a while. I'm going to need you to wait outside."

Hiccup started to protest, but Astrid cut him off. "It's okay, Hiccup. In the meantime, why don't you go and pick up my things?"

He stared at her for a second before relenting. "All right", he said, and soon disappeared out the door.

"Your promised?" Ragna asked as she examined her wound.

"None of your business", Astrid replied simply.

"Whatever", she shrugged. "I'm going to give you something that will make you sleepy. You'll need help getting to your home."

"What if I refuse to take it?"

"Then I can't help you."

She sighed. "Fine then."

* * *

Hiccup walked away from the healer's house and into the forest. After reassuring Stormfly that Astrid was fine and reminding her to stay out of sight, he walked with Toothless back towards the place where he'd found Astrid. The man and woman who'd been outside and who his dragon had knocked out with a low-power plasma blast were still unconscious. He walked into the room. The other woman wasn't awake either, so he began rummaging around. He found Astrid's axe, some gold that was presumably also hers since it was right next to it, and a couple of other weapons.

While he put everything in a bag he found, he searched for something that explained who these people were or why they'd taken Astrid, but he came up empty-handed. Maybe they'd told _her_ , but it hadn't occurred to him to ask her. When he'd first seen her, his immediate reaction had been relief; he'd found her, and everything was going to be okay. However, it didn't last, as the woman who was with her put a knife to her throat. He'd been pissed when he opened the door. He'd done a lot of things to get to Astrid, and he sure as Hel wasn't going to stop _now_. And the woman had the gall to _threaten_ them. Rather stupid of her, considering that he had dragons on his side.

Once that was taken care of, he'd thought the worst was over. Except that, as soon as he got a good look, he noticed the gash on her abdomen, which clearly required treatment it hadn't got. So concern had again filled him as he took her to the healer (whose location he'd obtained from the dazed woman in the room). Ragna hadn't seemed overly worried, so there was that, but he was still afraid of what might happen. She'd better not die on him, not after all the trouble he'd gone to trying to find her.

He wondered why they had stabbed her and how long she'd been holding on. The idea that these people had hurt her made him angry. He wanted them to pay, even though he knew Astrid would most likely take care of it.

Having picked everything up, he went back to Ragna's house and waited outside. As he did, he remembered the strange encounter with the woman who had Astrid's hood and wondered who she was. After a couple of minutes, the healer came out and called him in. He found Astrid seemingly sleeping. Her shirt had been rolled up (he was glad it hadn't been removed all together; he didn't know what he would've done with his eyes if that had been the case) and a bandage covered the lower portion of her abdomen.

"The wound wasn't very deep", Ragna spoke, and he turned to look at her, "but it was left to bleed too long. She'll need a few days to get her strength back. Also... she was stabbed with a rusty knife, and it left some dirt inside. Although I did my best to clean it, there's a good chance it might get infected. You know how to make a salve?" Hiccup nodded. "If she starts getting a fever, remove the bandage and clean the wound again."

"I'm not useless, you know", Astrid's voice suddenly rang out. "I can do that myself."

Ragna snorted and looked at her. "I thought you were sleeping. Like I said, you need to recover."

"I will. Can we go now?"

"Go where? Are you going to travel a long distance?"

"Is it a problem?" Hiccup asked.

"Not a problem, but it's not ideal. She won't get much rest on a ship. Still, if you're far from your home, it's best for you to get going, I suppose. Just make sure that she's not perturbed."

"I will. Thank you." He decided not to mention that such a thing would be impossible since they'd be flying. Astrid was obviously thinking about it, though, because her lips curved.

"Well", she said, "let's go then." She made to get up, but was unable to.

Ragna laughed. "I don't think you can go by yourself, not with what I gave you."

"So do I have to carry her?" Hiccup questioned. Astrid didn't seem very amused at the prospect. Ragna nodded, and the blonde sighed.

"Fine", she said as Hiccup came over to her. He grinned as he placed one arm underneath her.

"What, do I smell so bad?" he joked, lifting her from the cot. She smiled.

"Yeah, like dragon", she deadpanned. Hiccup laughed while he took her to the door.

"Thanks again", he said to the healer when he walked out. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when Astrid spoke.

"In all seriousness, I don't like to be carried in general. Nothing personal."

"Why not? Because it makes you feel weak?"

"Sort of. More like – it makes me _look_ weak."

"Astrid, you got _stabbed_. Anyone in your position would have less energy than normal."

"In case you haven't noticed yet, appearances are very important in my business."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Well, there's nobody around to see us, so you don't need to worry about it."

"I know. Like I said, nothing personal."

"Fine. We're almost there anyway." There were a few moments of silence. "By the way, who was that woman at the healer's house, and why did she have your hood?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later."


	21. The words of regret

When they reached their dragons, Stormfly immediately began squawking, first in excitement, then in distress when she noticed the state her rider was in. Astrid laughed and visibly struggled to lift her arm to pet her snout, which concerned her dragon even more. Toothless seemed confused, too.

"Shh, be quiet, girl. We don't want anyone to find you, do we?" Stormfly cooed and looked at her torso. Undoubtedly, she could smell the blood and herbs on her. "I'm all patched up now. I'm a little weak, but I'll get better. Now, let's get going."

It wasn't until she said that that Hiccup realised he hadn't really thought about how Astrid was going to ride in her current state. Clearly, she'd have to go with him, since there was no way she'd be able to keep herself in the saddle. She was so weak, though, he still felt afraid that she might fall off.

"Astrid? How were you planning to fly?"

"I thought it was obvious I'd ride with you."

"Yeah, I know, but... what if you fall asleep and, I don't know, slip off the saddle or something?"

Astrid thought for a moment, then looked down his body. He felt himself blush, even more so when she reached out towards where her eyes were... but her hand landed on his lower belt. More specifically, on one of the metal loops that he used to tie himself to Toothless. She fingered it thoughtfully. Hiccup tried not to stiffen; her hand was a little too close to _other_ things, and while that obviously wasn't her intention, it made him uncomfortable.

"Do you have another one of these?" she asked him.

"Yeah, right here." He pointed to his other side, where another identical metal loop hung, but she shook her head.

"No, I mean another belt."

"Sure, I always carry a spare. Why?" As soon as he asked, he understood. "You want to... secure yourself to Toothless?"

"And to you, maybe. Just in case."

"Uh..." It was a great idea, there was no denying that. The belt had stopped him from falling off Toothless more than once, and while Astrid wouldn't be able to hold on, _he_ could. So why was he hesitating?

"What, don't want to be tied to me?" she teased. Hiccup tried not to react, but he realised that she wasn't far off. The only times they'd been on the same dragon, their relationship had been _very_ different. Somehow, the prospect of being so close to one another seemed a lot more daunting now, for reasons he didn't understand.

"Uh, no, no. Let's get going. My arms are getting tired. I rarely carry anything this long", he joked in an attempt to distract her. He was pretty sure she noticed, but she let it go. "Toothless, get over here."

His Night Fury came closer and lay as flat as he could while Hiccup put Astrid down on the saddle. She used Toothless' neck for support as he rummaged in his bags for the extra belt. Once he found it, he held it out to her and, despite her current clumsiness, she swiftly attempted to tie it around her waist, but failed. Hiccup chuckled.

"That belt is a little, uh, complicated. May I?"

When Astrid nodded, he grasped both ends and tried to link them, only for him to realise that it was too loose. The blonde noticed his hesitation.

"What is it?"

"Uh, I need to tighten it a bit."

"Okay." She spread her arms a bit further to give him easier access. Blushing, he encircled her waist with his arms and tugged at the belt, trying to ignore the warmth of her body inches from his. He pulled back as quickly as he could and tied up the ends. After that, he hooked one of the metal loops to Toothless' saddle. Satisfied, he looked back up at Astrid, and found her smirking.

"What?"

"You're as red as my shirt."

"Well, I..." He couldn't think of any valid excuse.

"Honestly, you get flustered so easily. You need to be around women more."

He scoffed as he checked the bags one last time. "Yeah, well, the last time I tried that, things took a quite _unexpected_ path."

Astrid stiffened. "Sorry", she mumbled.

"It's fine." He was going to climb before her, when he realised it would probably be much safer for her if he sat down _behind_ her. That way, he'd be able to keep a hold on her.

He got on Toothless and immediately felt her back against his chest. _Of course, you're on a dragon together, what did you expect?_ He wasn't sure if the sudden warmth was her body against his, or the blood rushing back to his face. He tried to ignore it as he strapped himself to the saddle. Once he was done, he remembered Astrid's comment and took hold of the metal loop that was still free, hooking it to his own.

Since he was further away from Toothless' pedals than he would normally be, he had to scoot forward a little bit. Gods, now they were practically _cuddling_ , and she seemed to be leaning into him. It made sense, of course, given how sleepy she was, but that didn't stop his heart from racing. She must've felt it.

"You _really_ need to get around more", she insisted as he managed the pedals and Toothless took off, followed by Stormfly. "No need to be so nervous."

"What did I _just_ say?"

"So you had one bad experience, it happens to everyone. Granted, yours was much worse, but are you going to shy away from women for the rest of your life?"

He sighed. Why was she so insistent on this all of a sudden? "No, but right now I'm more worried about other things. Like staying alive through all this."

"I know, and if you ever need to go undercover, then you need to be able to do so calmly, without getting flustered."

"Excuse me? I think I just handled myself pretty well back there."

"Oh, right, I forgot." He couldn't see her face, but he heard the smirk in her voice. "Hiccup the master seducer."

"You're never going to let that one go, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say 'never', but expect teasing for at least a week or so."

"Thanks for the warning", he deadpanned and she laughed.

"No, but seriously, you can't blame me for being curious. What _did_ you do?"

"To be honest, I didn't really do anything. She came up to me first, and when she told me her name, she happened to be the woman I was looking for. We talked about random things-"

"What kind of talking?" she interrupted. "Normal? Or flirty?"

He considered it. "I guess she was the one being flirty. I was simply... not rejecting it."

"So she invited you to her house?"

"Yep. And then, on the way..." He trailed off. He didn't like thinking about that.

"Let me guess, she kissed you?" Astrid filled in the blanks.

"Yeah."

"And you kissed her back."

"I had to, if I wanted to keep up the charade."

"So you didn't particularly like it."

"No. I couldn't stop remembering when Cami... when that woman kissed me, back during the Thing. And I realised that... I was doing the exact same thing. And if I'd hated it, if I'd felt... _violated_ , when I understood what was actually happening, then this woman had to feel the same."

He didn't mention that it sort of scared him, because just a year ago, he would've never thought himself capable of doing something like that. And if now deception came so easily to him, what was next? Murder? He hated to think of that.

Astrid snorted and shook her head. "Hiccup, if that woman took part in my kidnapping, she's nowhere nearly as innocent as you are, and I can assure you that's not how she saw it."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because whoever that woman is, she's obviously more like _me_. And I know _I_ wouldn't feel violated in such a situation."

"How _would_ you feel, then?"

"A little cheated, maybe. Tricked, because you managed to get information, or whatever, out of me, without me realising it. But not violated. In fact, I bet that woman's biggest regret was that things didn't escalate any further." She turned her head enough to watch him from the corner of her eye. "They _didn't_ escalate, did they?"

Hiccup's face was on fire. "Of course not. But why would she regret that?"

"Because she wanted to have some fun. Duh."

"I lied to her. Why would she still want... _me_?"

"Why wouldn't she?"

He snorted. "I would gesture at myself, but I can't right now."

"That's not an answer."

"Seriously? What woman would want me?"

"Should I make a list?"

If he had been drinking anything, he would've spat it all out. " _What_?"

"I've heard some of the women in my camp talking about you, Hiccup. In very... _specific_ terms. Just because you aren't a standard Viking doesn't mean you're not attractive."

Hiccup swallowed. He wasn't sure if he should ask, but the curiosity was too much. "Do _you_ think I'm attractive?"

Astrid straightened, turned her head around and smirked at him. "If I answered that honestly, would you be able to look me in the eye ever again?"

He blinked. "Never mind."

She went back to her original position, leaning against him. "Thought so. Anyway, I think I've embarrassed you enough for now." Hiccup suppressed a sigh of relief. "I'm going to sleep now. Wake me when we're close to the island."

He wasn't expecting her to lay her head on his shoulder. His immediate reaction was to stiffen.

"Does this bother you?" Astrid whispered. He turned only his eyes and saw that her eyelids were droopy. She was almost half-asleep, and he didn't have the heart to keep her from resting.

"No, it's fine", he answered just as softly. She didn't say anything, and within seconds he heard her breathing even out. (He tried not to think about the fact that they were close enough for him to notice such a thing.)

* * *

They'd been flying for hours, and Hiccup was feeling slightly tired, but he didn't stop. He wanted to get... well, not home, but to the island, as soon as possible, and give everyone the good news that they were okay. Astrid had been sleeping peacefully the whole time. Securing her to the saddle and to himself had been a smart idea, because a few times she'd started slipping. At first, Stormfly would squawk worriedly every now and then, but after a while she understood that her rider seemed to be mostly fine.

Normally, he would relax and enjoy the scenery when flying. However, seeing as this was anything but a regular flight, he couldn't really do that, so he let his mind wander. Eventually, he thought back to when he'd threatened and subsequently burned Pam.

He hadn't meant to do that, he really hadn't, but she'd given him no choice. It had been clear that verbal threats alone wouldn't work on her. As long as he didn't make good on them, she wouldn't say anything. He wondered what would've happened if the burning alone hadn't made her lose her nerve. How much more damage would he have had to inflict upon her? Would he have had to cut her? Chop off a piece of skin? Would he have been capable?

He wanted to think that the answer was no, but then again, if anyone had asked him if he would ever deliberately harm someone to get what he wanted, the answer would also have been negative. It frightened him to see just how far he was willing to go. At the moment, all he'd been thinking was that he needed to get to Astrid, and fast. Was that really all it took? Was he capable of becoming a monster like Dagur if he had the adequate motivation? If he thought he was in the right?

The darkness in this new world was absolutely terrifying, and he felt like he was starting to drown in it. That he was letting it consume him.

"What's wrong?"

Hiccup jumped; he hadn't noticed that Astrid had woken up at some point and was apparently watching him.

"You could've told me you were awake", he said without looking at her. (Partly because her position made it awkward to do so.)

"You seemed worried. Again, what's wrong?"

He told her. He told her everything that he'd done to get her, and how he'd practically had to resort to torture. He didn't explain the full scope of his feelings, but he knew he didn't have to; she'd understand.

"Hiccup", she said at last. "Imagine this. Toothless is tied up, dangling over a cliff, and there's a man next to him with a sword in his hand. He's going to cut the rope. You are too far to get to him in time, but you have a crossbow in your hands. I don't know how good your accuracy is, but let's say it's average. The only way to save your dragon is to shoot the man, knowing that most likely he'll die. Would you do it?"

Hiccup didn't answer. He would hate himself afterwards, but he knew he'd still do it.

"Yes, of course you'd do it. And that's perfectly normal. We'd all go to great lengths for those we care about." She paused. "Well, those of us who actually care about someone, at least. We'd be capable of doing things we didn't think we were capable of. That's just what was going on back at Pam's house. And the fact that you're still worried proves that you're not the monster you think."

"But where do you draw the line?" he asked. "Where do you say, 'okay, this is too much'?"

Astrid sighed. "That is something you'll have to decide for yourself."

Hiccup wanted to reply, but the now familiar contour of Astrid's island could be seen a short distance away. "We're here", he said instead.

"Great. Don't land in the middle of everyone, though. Follow my instructions."

"What? Why?"

"I have a protocol in case I arrive and something's amiss, like now."

"Oh, okay."

At her indications, they landed right next to a tent by the edge of the camp. Hiccup was astonished to see that some people that were clearly coming towards them turned away when they saw where they were. The only one who didn't do that, he noticed, was Eret. Moments later, an elder woman came out of the tent.

"Hofferson?" she asked as Stormfly touched down next to them. "What happened?"

"Long story", Astrid, who had straightened as they got closer, replied. "I got stabbed. I've been bandaged, but I'd rather you checked me."

"Of course."

Hiccup unhooked the loops from Toothless' saddle and himself. He wondered whether it'd be appropriate to offer her a hand get down, but she took hold of his arm by herself. The healer hurried to her side and helped her towards the tent.

"Any special instructions, Hofferson?" Eret asked.

"Not for now. Just fetch Einar."

Eret disappeared, as did Astrid and the healer in the tent. Hiccup had no idea of where to go, so when Einar arrived, he followed him to the dragon stables, wondering what would happen now.

* * *

 **A/N: What _will_ happen now? You'll have to find out... mwahaha :P**

 **Also, sorry that not much happens in this chapter. Hiccup and Astrid decided they wanted to have a long conversation, and I had to go along with it. But things will pick up again very soon, I promise.**

 **Finally, I wanted to warn you guys that, from tomorrow on, I have to start studying for my finals, so updates might take longer than a week. (I say this a lot, and the schedule never changes in the end, haha.)**


	22. Red alarm

Hiccup was woken up from his sleep by loud squawking. In his dazed state, it took him a couple of seconds to recognise the sound as Stormfly. The moment he did, though, his mind was immediately cleared. If Stormfly was coming to him, it could only mean one thing: Astrid was in trouble.

Trying not to think too hard about it, he quickly got up, threw on some clothes and stepped outside the tent. The only people around were a couple of guards who watched him as he followed the Deadly Nadder but made no comment. At one point, Toothless joined him, and Hiccup wondered if it had been Stormfly who had fetched him. Together, they made their way to the healer's tent, various scenarios running through Hiccup's mind.

When he got there, however, he was surprised to find nobody there. He would've thought this was an emergency, but apparently not. So why was Stormfly so worried? He was going to go inside the tent, before he realised it would probably be rude. Besides, what if Astrid was... not decent? He'd never live it down.

"Hello?" he called out instead. It wasn't long until the healer's head poked out from the opening.

"What is it?" she asked. "Hofferson needs to rest."

"I know", he said. "But Stormfly was worried. She came to find me, so I thought maybe something had happened."

"So that's where she went", the woman sighed. "I heard her leaving a while ago. Come in."

He did. Inside, the only furniture was a bed, a chair next to it and a table. The rest of the space was occupied by dozens of bottles, chests, and other equipment. Astrid was lying on the bed, sheets drawn up only to her waist. Her hood and shoulder pads were gone, and her top had been rolled up, exposing her midriff, where the bandage was visible. Hiccup tried not to focus on that and instead looked at her face, but it was worse. Although she was sleeping, her unease was evident. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and her cheeks were red.

"Fever", he said, mostly to himself.

"Yes", the healer confirmed. "She's caught an infection."

 _Exactly what Ragna warned me about._ "She was stabbed with a rusty knife. There are probably-"

"Pieces still inside of her. She told me."

"Oh. So you've checked that?"

"I have, but I'm afraid I ain't as young as I used to be, and my eyesight isn't the best." She sighed. "I might've missed something."

"Can she still heal, if that's the case?"

"Of course, but it's going to be hard."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not unless you can somehow make my eyes better."

He was going to answer, but then he remembered something. One of the last inventions he'd created before this whole mess had started that could, in fact, make her eyes better. Or at least, allow her to see small things more easily. After he'd finished it, he'd packed it in the saddle, hoping to one day take it for a field trip, and he didn't remember removing it.

"Actually", he said, "I think I can. Give me a moment". He went outside and began rummaging through Toothless' saddle. Both dragons made concerned noises, and he had to shush them with empty words. To his relief, he soon found what he was looking for. Going back into the tent, he showed the healer his invention: a glass that made things look bigger.

"This should make it easier to see", he told her. She thanked him and began working on Astrid's wound. Hiccup wondered if he should leave, but she didn't say anything, so he just stood there, trying to block out the noises she was making. Although he'd seen plenty of injuries before, there was something deeply disturbing about the rustling of flesh on flesh. Once, he heard Astrid whimper, but when he looked, she was seemingly still sleeping.

Eventually, the healer was done. When she handed him back the glass, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

"Well", she said, "I believe that should be all of it."

"So is she going to get better now?"

"Not immediately, but she's not going to get worse, either. All that's left is to wait for the fever to pass. So, if you wouldn't mind, I have to keep refreshing her-"

"Is that all that's necessary?" he interrupted. "Because if so, I can do it, if you want. You seem pretty tired."

"All in the job", she smiled. She regarded Astrid thoughtfully. "You would only have to put a cold cloth on her forehead every now and then... and make sure she drinks water."

"How? She's asleep."

"She wakes up at random intervals. Use this." She picked up a small container that became narrower at the top. "It'll make it easier."

"Okay."

"Very well then. I'll be sleeping outside, so call me if something happens."

"Outside? Isn't it too cold for that?"

"Not if you're beside a dragon. Stormfly's there, isn't she? I've slept with her before, on occasions like this."

"Oh, fine then."

The healer went out, and he was left inside. He walked to the chair and sat down. It made him slightly nervous to see Astrid like this, but he knew there was nothing he could do to help it.

Time passed by. Hiccup had found a bucket of water with a cloth under the bed, so he regularly put it on the blonde's forehead whenever it felt like there was too much heat coming from her skin. He guessed she had been dressed down for the same reason. He tried hard to keep her cool, even though it felt fruitless. Occasionally, he would press the cloth against her arms, her neck, anywhere he thought it might help. Every now and then, she would stir a bit, and though she never seemed to fully wake up, she drank most of the water he brought to her mouth.

He wasn't sure just how many hours had passed when her eyes flew open all of a sudden.

"Astrid?"

She didn't answer. She remained in her position, seemingly staring at the top of the tent, though her vacant expression suggested otherwise. He tried again.

"Astrid, can you hear me?"

Still nothing. When he grabbed her arm, though, she tensed.

"Who are you?" she asked. Hiccup blinked.

"I'm Hic-"

"Don't come near me", she warned him, and tried to scoot away from him. When she reached the end of the bed, she whimpered.

"Astrid-"

"Stop", she pleaded. "Don't touch me."

Her tone was starting to scare him. He'd never heard her voice sound so... _pitiful_. He was going to comment something when he watched her face more closely and realised that the vacant look was still there. She must be hallucinating, he realised. She wasn't saying those things to _him_ , but to someone in her mind. The only question was whether she was replaying something that had actually happened or if it was all her imagination. Whatever it was, he should probably wake her up.

"Astrid", he said in a louder voice and put a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. Her reaction was even worse; she grabbed his arm and feebly tried to push it away. He complied; she'd been hot before, but right now she was practically burning. He needed to cool her down, so he sunk the cloth in the cold water and pressed it to her head. This time, despite her attempts, he didn't let go of her. He had to, however, when she began kicking at the air.

"Don't touch me!" she practically screamed. "Dad! Anyone! Help!"

Okay, now he knew _for certain_ that she was hallucinating, if she was calling her deceased father. He left the cloth on her forehead and grabbed her legs to make her stop, which made her whimper again.

"No, please... don't..." Her voice broke his heart; it was as though she'd resigned herself. He didn't want to think about _what_ exactly, although deep down he was pretty sure of what it was. The idea was too horrifying to consider.

In any case, there were more urgent things to focus on. Right now, he needed to get her to be still. He was afraid that, if she kept thrashing, she'd hurt herself, so he called for the healer outside. She didn't take long to come, fortunately, and when she did, she understood the situation immediately.

"We need to calm her down", she stated simply. "Keep restraining her."

"But-"

"What?"

He sighed. "Nothing." He couldn't tell her that, with the way Astrid was struggling, it felt wrong. Especially considering what he thought was really happening in the blonde's mind. He managed to ignore it as the healer prepared a tea, although when the woman shoved it down Astrid's throat, he felt sick to his stomach. Even if this was a completely different situation, it still left a bad taste in his mouth.

Astrid finally stopped moving and went back to the more restful state she'd been in. The healer went back to sleep, instructing him to give her patient more tea if she should hallucinate again. Fortunately, that didn't happen, so he kept placing the cold cloth and giving her water until the other woman came in and told him he could go to sleep again. When he left the tent, he was surprised to see that dawn was about to break.

Exhaustion fell upon him all at once, and leaving Stormfly with her rider, he quickly walked back to his tent and fell asleep.

* * *

"Hey, Boarstriker. I was starting to wonder where you were."

"What I do is none of your business", Valka retorted sharply. Mahzun, as the Dragon Hunter she dealt with was called, raised his hands in a placating manner.

"Whoa, wasn't asking. Just saying. I hadn't seen you for quite a while. I was afraid you'd decided not to come back."

Valka laughed dryly. "Afraid that you'd lose your favour with Viggo, rather."

"Guilty as charged", the man grinned. "Although, if I have to be honest, it's probably a good thing. Viggo was starting to get suspicious that I'd been able to catch so many dragons. Now he probably thinks it was just a stroke of luck."

"I told you so. Now, any progress on what I asked of you?"

Mahzun gave a satisfied smirk. "Boy, do I have things to tell you. I actually uncovered a lot. But maybe I should tell you somewhere more private than this." He looked at all the people around them. Taverns were hardly known for their privacy, but nobody would bat an eyelash at a hunter drinking there. So it was the perfect cover.

"Very well." Valka got up and talked to the owner about getting a room. He was adamant that those were only for the whores and their customers... until she slipped him a few coins. She came back to the table with a key. "Let's go."

As they walked along the hallway in the upper floor, moans and groans of pleasure could be heard from various rooms. The walls weren't supposed to be soundproof, after all. Having spent so much time with wild dragons, though, Valka was accustomed to mating sounds, so it didn't bother her. What was more, the loud noise would keep their conversation out of the reach of any ears that might be listening.

Once they got to the room, Valka told the man to sit down on the bed while she remained standing; she felt safer that way.

"Now talk."

* * *

 _Mahzun sat on a stone close to Viggo's tent, pretending to be engrossed in sharpening his sword while keeping an eye out. He was aware that what he was doing was dangerous, and if he was discovered, he'd probably be executed for treason. The stakes were extremely high... but Boarstriker had made it clear last time they'd met; he wanted to know how Viggo had dealt with his last enemies, or Mahzun wouldn't get any more dragons. And the hunter didn't want to lose his supply; he was reaping a lot of benefits from his positive streak._

 _As soon as he made sure that nobody was around, he slipped into the tent through a hole in the back that nobody had noticed yet. Of course, he'd chosen a time when Viggo was away; he wasn't an idiot. He searched the parchments; letters, plans, anything that contained the information he was looking for. Eventually, he found a letter written in a practically unintelligible handwriting. It was very short and concise; more of a note, really._

Viggo, _it read_. I accept the job. I will take care of the boy. He will never know what hit him.

 _There was no signature, only a little drawing of what looked like a Deadly Nadder's head. The letter couldn't be vaguer, but it sounded like something to take down an enemy. Now if only he could figure out who the boy and the author of the letter were..._

 _Looking around, he found another letter signed in the same way._

I will receive half of the payment before the job, and half after. I will take an alternate route to Meathead and meet you at the island nearby.

 _Okay, so they were taking care of this boy in Meathead island. Why did that name sound so familiar?_

Oh, right, _he thought._ That big meeting of chiefs took place there recently _. Kind of a strange place to make a move, considering all the people there would be... unless, of course, that was the purpose._

 _But wait, didn't something else happen there? He struggled to remember, until the conversation came to his mind; the heir to the island had been murdered. However, the killer had been another heir, so he couldn't have been the target. Or could he?_

 _He didn't get to ponder it further, though, because he heard the guard's voices outside greeting Viggo and rushed to hide underneath a cloth covering a chest._

 _Viggo and his brother walked in, discussing something about supplies. It wasn't until Ryker asked something about an enemy that Mahzun perked up._

" _I thought she would turn out to be quite the foe, brother dear", Viggo replied, "but it was easy as soon as I found her weakness."_

" _Why go to all this trouble, though? Why not just kidnap the boy, if you want leverage?"_

" _Brother, you don't think at all, do you? If I merely take the boy, she'd just hire however many men she required and storm this island with her dragons. I needed something else. That's why I hired the Nadder girl."_

" _She did a great job, I must admit."_

" _Indeed. And now Hofferson needs me to prove the boy's innocence. So she'll have to negotiate with me."_

" _And what if she finds the Nadder girl and makes her talk?"_

" _The Nadder girl won't talk, that's one of the reasons she has such a high reputation. As for finding her, if Hofferson were to look for her, she'd do so at our islands and hideouts. That's not where she is. She chose her own hiding place."_

" _So we have no idea of where she is?"_

" _No, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. The less people who know, the better. This way, if Hofferson captures any of my men, or even me or you, she won't be able to torture us for information."_

 _The topic changed not long after, but Mahzun had heard enough. As soon as both brothers left, he quickly got out of the tent and went back to sharpening his sword, satisfied. He'd got great information for Boarstriker, he decided._

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this weekend, but if I can't, then the next update definitely won't happen until the following weekend, because I have all three of my finals next week T_T After that I'll only be studying for one exam, though, so it should be back to normal.**

 **Also, in case anyone doesn't watch RTTE, yes, Hiccup invented the magnifying glass.**


	23. Confessions

**A/N: I think this is the first time that the update actually took as long as I'd warned you it would, haha. Anyway, last week was hectic, with all three of my finals so close to each other, and I didn't have time for anything. Right now, I'm still studying for one exam, but it's only one, so updates should be faster now.**

* * *

Astrid felt like someone was driving nails into her head when she woke up. She opened her eyes, and it took a couple of seconds for the world to come into focus. Since when did the top of her tent have those stains? Wait. It didn't. This was Gunborg's tent. She'd spent many an hour standing there, staring at those splotches of colour in the otherwise dark material, while her healer worked on someone. She didn't remember ever being the one being treated, though.

"Gunborg?" she croaked. Gods, her throat was so dry. The woman, who'd been reading something, quickly brought her a mug of water that she promptly drained.

"How are you feeling?" Gunborg asked, voice laced with concern.

"I've been better", she admitted. "My head hurts." Normally, she wasn't one to let others know when she was in pain, but the healer needed to know what her symptoms were.

"You had a fever last night", she explained. "The wound got infected. I'm afraid I didn't manage to take out all the pieces of rust. I apologise."

Only now did she remember the circumstances that had brought her here, and once she did, she recognised a throbbing feeling. The stab was making itself present again.

"It's fine. I knew it was likely to happen. I didn't die, so no harm done, right?"

Gunborg shook her head at how she tried to play it down. "You should get better soon, but take it easy, at least today. I won't ask you to remain in bed, because I know you won't. However, I do hope you'll stay at the island and not do anything too stressful."

"I will. I promise."

"Very well, then. Let me check that wound." She worked in silence for a while. "Oh, by the way, the Haddock boy was here last night, too."

"Was he?" She supposed it wasn't really surprising; Hiccup had seen her injury at its worst, and he would undoubtedly be worried.

"Yes, apparently Stormfly fetched him." That made sense; her Nadder had known him longer than anybody else in her camp. She trusted him. "He helped me, actually. He gave me this glass that made things look bigger. I don't know where he got that from, but it was useful when I was cleaning the rust. And then..." she hesitated.

"What?" The pause made it seem as though something embarrassing had happened. Astrid noticed that her shirt was off, but other people from her camp had seen her in her bindings before, when a makeshift bandage needed to be made or something. Everyone knew that this wasn't something that bothered her. Her men respected her enough.

"He stayed all night, looking after you."

"And you allowed that?" Again, nothing surprising about Hiccup's behaviour; she knew he tended to ignore his body's needs when he was focused on something. However, she'd never have expected Gunborg to allow someone to take over her work.

"Well, you had a fever. There really wasn't a lot to do except wait for it to pass. He said I should get some rest, and he'd take care of you. He seemed competent enough, so I let him."

"I see." She noticed her healer still looked troubled. "This isn't a problem, you know. There's no need to feel guilty about it. I trust him."

"Well, I hope you trust him to keep his mouth shut."

"What do you mean?" Had she said something during the night?

"At one point, you started hallucinating. Quite violently, I might add. He had to call me so I could help him restrain you."

"And... what was I hallucinating about?"

"I don't know, but I think he does. Considering how grim his expression seemed when he called me, he must've heard you say something. All I know is that you were thrashing about and I had to give you some tea to calm you down." She paused. "You should probably ask the boy what you said. It might be compromising. I'm really sorry, I never could've imagined something like this."

"You couldn't have", she agreed, "so it's fine. In any case, I know he will keep quiet if I ask him to. He's a man of his word."

"You wouldn't... work with him if he weren't."

Astrid noticed the hesitation before using the word 'work', and suppressed a sigh. Of course, with how much time Hiccup had been spending lately at their camp, and the fact that she'd been on missions alone with him, this was inevitable. While she didn't think her employees were gossiping about what her relationship with Hiccup was, they were all definitely wondering it. Since she didn't want to lie to them, her only option was to not clarify anything at all, which didn't help the situation.

"No", she agreed. "I wouldn't. Now help me out, will you? I have things to do. And Stormfly is probably worried."

* * *

She didn't meet Hiccup until lunchtime. She always tried to eat with her people if she could, especially if she'd been away for a while. It wouldn't do to put distance between her and them by eating alone in her tent. She was their boss, but that didn't mean she was superior, and she wanted to transmit that message.

Hiccup was eating with Einar and, surprisingly, Eret. From what she could tell at a distance, the older man was asking them about something, probably Monstrous Nightmares. After a while, she excused herself from the conversation she was currently having and went to their little group. When she got closer, Hiccup noticed her, and she saw something, a shadow, pass over his expression.

 _So whatever he witnessed last night, it wasn't good._ She'd need to ask him later, then. Einar and Eret greeted her and she joined the conversation.

"Stoick Haddock is still looking around", Eret informed her. Astrid frowned and so did Hiccup.

"Still?"

"Yes. He's relentless, it seems."

"Did you see him?" Hiccup asked. Astrid hoped that he wouldn't let it slip the man was his father. Einar was still present and, while she trusted him, she'd long ago learned that she shouldn't let everyone know everything.

"No, but it's what I've heard from other people."

"Oh."

Thankfully, Einar didn't ask any questions and the conversation carried on. As Einar and Eret left, however, Hiccup stared at her, and this time he didn't bother to hide his darkened features.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" he asked her.

"Not really. Gunborg said I had a fever, and that you stayed with me all night." She smiled. "Thanks, by the way."

He barely smiled back. "You're welcome. But don't you remember anything at all?"

"Gunborg told me I was hallucinating."

"Did she tell you _what_ you were hallucinating about?"

"No, she said she didn't know. She also said _you_ might."

Hiccup looked away. "Oh."

"What was it?"

He looked at her, his face still troubled and... was that _pity_? "I can't-"

"Hiccup."

He sighed. "Fine. But not here. Too many people."

Astrid was surprised by this. Just _what_ had she done or said last night, that he didn't want others to hear? "Very well. Tonight then, after dinner. You know the cliff you were at, the day of the party?" He nodded. "I'll see you there."

She didn't have much time to ponder what could've happened during the rest of the day, for she was rather busy. Admittedly, she'd only been away a day more than she'd intended to be, thanks to Hiccup's intervention (she really had to ask him how he'd done it), so she could keep things relatively under control. Among the papers that had been left on her desk, she was glad to find a letter from Bjarte, stating that he was coming tomorrow or the day after. She'd asked him to find out what had happened to Heather, so if he was coming personally he had to have some news. She tried not to think about the fact that that news could be bad.

Dinner went by quickly, and soon enough she was sitting on the cliff, waiting for Hiccup to arrive. Stormfly was playing behind her when suddenly she squawked in what Astrid now recognised as a greeting. She turned around to see Toothless bobbing his head at the Nadder, while Hiccup walked past them to sit next to her.

"Hey", he said.

"Hi."

He looked at the sky. Astrid let him for a couple of seconds.

"Hiccup." His eyes came back down to her. "Come on. What did I say or do?"

He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "You were acting like you... like I was trying to... to rape you."

Astrid felt herself go stiff instantly. This was something that she'd never talked about with anyone other than Heather. (Alvin had his suspicions, she was sure, but he'd never asked her. And the man who'd helped her at the time had promised not to tell a soul. As far as she knew, he'd kept his word.)

"Oh", she replied. She knew he wasn't going to accept that, though.

"I think I deserve a little more than that, Astrid."

"Deserve?" _That's a strong word._

"You know pretty much everything about me, about my life, but I barely know anything about yours. Yet, despite that, I've come to trust you as if I'd always known you." His eyes were blazing, and she couldn't have looked away from him if she'd tried. "And after all the shit we've been through together, I would hope I've earned _your_ trust. I would hope that you can tell me things about your life, too, and not hold back. I understand that there may be information you want to keep a secret, but I think I've earned the right to know at least a bit more. This... whatever _this_ is, it won't work when things are so unbalanced."

Astrid stared at him for a few seconds, speechless.

"And I... I can only imagine that this particular topic must be really difficult for you, so I'm not asking for more details than what you feel comfortable with, but at least-"

"Nothing happened", she interrupted him. When he gave her a sceptical look, she continued. "He... tried, but someone else came before he could get down to it."

"Oh."

"Yeah." She gave him a wry smile. "It seems to be a recurring thing for me."

"Please don't. This isn't funny. That's twice that you've almost been raped. Nothing to laugh about."

" _Almost_ , Hiccup. I'd count myself pretty lucky, all in all. There are plenty of girls out there who've had it worse than me. If you want to pity someone, I'd suggest starting with them."

"That's not..." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Can you please stop turning the subject around?"

"What do you want me to say? Some asshole tried to rape me, he didn't manage it. I'm fine. End of the story."

"The way you were acting last night, it didn't seem like it. You were _terrified_. You were trying to kick me off, through any means possible, and when that didn't work..." He seemed to shrink, and so did Astrid. As much as she'd tried to bury them, the details of that moment were burned into her mind. Even now, it was like she could feel the man's hands on her, trying to pull her clothes off. She remembered kicking, punching, biting, using all of the techniques her dad had taught her to defend herself, and the horrifying realisation that her meagre strength was nothing compared to the man's. And after that, the desperation that she couldn't do anything to stop her fate. It had only been one second, for the man that saved her came in right at that moment, but she'd never forget.

Not to mention, it was entwined with her _other_ worst memory. Luckily, it seemed that she hadn't let that one slip, so she wouldn't have to tell Hiccup about it.

"Astrid!"

She blinked, and only then did she realise that she'd zoned out, and Hiccup was staring worriedly –but also pointedly- at her.

"See? Don't tell me you're fine when you're clearly not."

She sighed. "It's a... _very_ unpleasant memory."

"Sounds like an understatement."

"Maybe. But even so, what can I do about it? You can imagine I've already taken care of the man that did it. There's really not a lot left to do, or say. All I can do is get over it."

Hiccup hesitated. "I said that I wouldn't ask for details, and I won't. Just tell me one thing." She looked at him guardedly. "How old were you?"

Ah, shoot. This was going to sound terrible. (Because it was.) She wasn't going to lie to him, though.

"Ten", she admitted quietly.

It was silent for so long that she looked back at Hiccup. Just as she suspected, his face was filled with new horror, and he seemed to be having trouble forming words.

" _Ten_?" he sputtered at last. "What kind of monster..."

"You'd be surprised", she said. "Anyway, if you were wondering why it affected me so much, I'm pretty sure that's the reason."

"You think?" he said sarcastically. "You were a _child_ , Astrid. I mean, Hel, I don't think I'd even forged my first sword at that age. And you had to go through _that_."

"I know. But, all things considered, I think I handled it fairly well." That was probably up to debate. Not that it mattered at the moment.

"It seems to me that you just... squashed the feelings down. I recall a certain _someone_ telling me that that wasn't healthy."

"And you can now see _why_ I told you that. Took me long enough to get over it, and it's still down there. Right now, though, talking about it wouldn't help much. Best thing I can do is to not think about it."

"Are you sure? I still feel like I should do something."

"I know you do." She smiled. "And I thank you for that. But I'd rather focus on other things."

"Okay." There was a pause, and then he slid his hand into hers. Astrid chuckled.

"Is this your way of doing something?"

"Yup", he grinned.

"Very well then." And for some time, she cleared her mind of anything but their joined hands and the peace of the night.

* * *

Stoick walked away from the tavern, huffing. Once more, nobody seemed to know anything. Over the course of the past days, he'd been from island to island, questioning people about Hofferson, yet nobody could tell him where she was. He knew that somebody was probably lying and actually had information, but no amount of threats could get them to cooperate. What was worse, he was now seeing wanted posters with his son's face on them, which were like a kick to the gut. Every time he noticed one, it reinforced his will to find Hofferson, and with her Hiccup, before the other chiefs did. Already, he'd had to evade a couple of them, and while he doubted they'd actually do anything if they found him, he didn't want to risk it.

He went to the spot in the forest where he'd left Skullcrasher. The first times he did this, he'd let the dragon come with him, but later on, he realised that it only attracted unwanted attention, so he hid the Rumblehorn. If there was one thing that particular species was good at, it was camouflage. Nobody would find him.

So he was greatly surprised when he discovered Skullcrasher wasn't there. He began looking around, until he noticed a patch of dirt that seemed like something had rolled on it. Which meant that his dragon had left. Weird. Had Skullcrasher intentionally disobeyed him? It wasn't like him.

After a short while of following the tracks, however, he understood what had happened. There was a field of dragon nip in a clearing, with a fence surrounding it, and his dragon had busted through it. He was currently in a state of bliss, lying on the ground.

"Skullcrusher", he called. It took some time for the large creature to respond, but eventually he was back on his feet. Just as he was about to leave, though, an old man appeared through the gates (that he hadn't noticed before). He was clearly angry.

"Hey!" he called. "What do you think you're doing? If you want dragon nip, you have to pay for it!"

"I'm very sorry", Stoick immediately apologised. "I didn't think..." He trailed off as he realised something. This man sold dragon nip. Who would want to buy it? Only people who had dragons. And aside from Berk's people, the only other person in the archipelago who he knew was a rider happened to be the very same one he was looking for. "How much does it cost?"

"Two pieces of gold for a bag. For you, though, considering all the nip you've already used..."

"I'll pay for it", he assured him. As he got the gold out, he asked casually, "Do you have a lot of customers?"

"Some. What's it to you?"

"Just wondering. Most people scream in terror when they see a dragon."

"Well, not me. Now be gone!"

"Wait a second. Who do you sell to?"

The man scoffed. "I don't betray my customers."

"I'm sure we could agree on a price..." He didn't have a lot of gold, but this man seemed to have valuable information. If obtaining it meant skipping a few meals, he'd deal with it.

"I don't take bribes, sir. Now, please leave."

"All right." He could see that insisting wouldn't do anything right now. This seller was already badly predisposed towards him.

He didn't leave, however. He went back to town and procured some supplies, and then went back to the forest, hiding on top of a tree that gave him a great view of the dragon nip field. Skullcrusher hid further away. If Hofferson, or anyone, came to that place to buy, he'd know.

Stoick Haddock wasn't a patient man, but this time, he'd make an exception.


	24. Complications

Hiccup woke up to the sound of excited voices chattering just outside his tent.

"...he's a tracker, one of the best. He has to be looking for Heather."

At the mention of her name, he instantly perked up. Astrid hadn't mentioned anything about the brunette since he'd asked about her. And though he hadn't had much time to think about her in the current situation, he was still interested in knowing what had happened.

"Do you think he's found her?" another voice asked.

"Maybe", the first voice answered. "Why else would he come all the way here?"

"Unless Hofferson's only just hired him."

"We're talking about Heather. Do you really think she would've waited this long to do something?"

"Fair enough."

The two people talking then walked away, apparently, because he couldn't hear their voices anymore. His curiosity piqued, he got up and headed to the kitchens for breakfast, where he met with Einar. The boy was excited about the man –Bjarte- who'd come. He told Hiccup that Hofferson had been in her tent with him for a while now. He seemed to think that he was there for Heather, too.

He wanted to talk to Astrid, but he'd have to wait, so he decided to head over to the forge and help Gerd, the blacksmith. The man was fairly efficient by himself, but he appreciated the extra pair of hands.

While he sharpened swords and repaired shields, his mind soon wandered to what Astrid had told him the previous day. She'd been trying so hard to be casual, but her usual serenity had been clearly absent. It was a horrible thing of itself, even more so when he considered her age. _Ten_. What kind of monster did that to such a young child? And although she pretended it didn't affect her, it obviously did. He wondered if she'd ever told anyone, even her father. She'd been calling for him in her hallucination; had he actually come? Did he ever find out? If so, he'd probably killed the man immediately in retaliation.

 _But she said_ she'd _taken care of him._ So obviously she had dealt with the situation herself, without telling a soul. And that must have been terribly unhealthy. He knew she must have felt all the terror and the (misplaced) shame that rape victims often did, even if the attempt had been unsuccessful. Keeping all that bottled up... even if she tried not to think about it, it had probably been in the back of her mind all the time. Something similar to his situation right now, except he could talk to Astrid if he really needed to, or even Toothless. That had not been her case. She must've felt like she was about to burst at some point.

 _Maybe she did_ , he suddenly realised. What if she'd snapped? What if she'd gone and... attacked her would-be abuser? More importantly, what if that was the catalyst that made her turn to a life of crime? She'd had an assassin for a father, after all, who'd taught her some questionable morals. Perhaps she'd given in to the fear and anger inside of her, let it consume her. After all, _he_ already felt like he was going down a rabbit hole, and his situation wasn't half as bad.

He thought that he'd made an important discovery. Although that may not have been why she'd chosen this path, he was certain that it had had _something_ to do with it. And considering that most of her life and motivations were a mystery to him, he cherished an opportunity to gain any insight into her mind.

If he was right... it wouldn't erase everything that she had done, of course. But he could understand why she'd ended down that path. And with understanding, came sympathy.

* * *

Astrid read over the letter once more.

 _Astrid, I have obtained some important information that would be dangerous to write down. I'm heading over there. I expect to arrive three days after this Terror does. See you then._

She really hoped this meant good news. The last time she'd got a letter like this, Bjarte hadn't actually made a lot of progress. He'd found out where exactly Heather had disappeared and a few likely suspects, but not much else. Apparently, the suspects were dangerous men and difficult to find. Bjarte had tried to encourage her to stop the search, warning her it'd be complicated, but she'd never do that. So now the man was out there again, trying to learn more.

She'd been feeling fairly disappointed when he'd left her tent. She was certain it had been clear on her face, when she had to tell her excited employees that yes, Bjarte was looking for Heather and no, there was still nothing. That night during dinner, Hiccup had approached her to ask for more details. She'd told him the few things she knew. He'd pondered if Viggo could be the one behind it, but she reassured him that wasn't the case. Viggo would've gloated about it, or offered to exchange Heather for something. Just keeping her wouldn't give him any benefits.

She heard the exclamations of her people before she heard the dragon wings, four powerful flaps over and over that meant a Stormcutter was here. She hurried outside, where a few men and women were already gathered, looking at the creature in amazement. They'd been told about the arrival, of course, but most of them had never seen this type of dragon before. Among the people was Hiccup, who was fairly excited about seeing his mother again. She'd warned him not to let others know about their connection, though.

Cloudjumper landed and Valka immediately jumped down. She was wearing her rider attire, including her mask. She probably didn't want to be recognised, even though the chances of that were low. She was cautious. That was good, Astrid thought. She needed it for the mission she was carrying out.

The elder woman approached her. "Hofferson", she said formally (something Ragna must've taught her.)

"Valka", she replied in kind. "Let's go to my tent."

As they did, the people around them went back to work. Hiccup pretended to do the same, but once the crowd was gone he joined them. After they were inside the tent, Valka took her mask off and, briefly hesitating, hugged her son.

"I'm glad you're here", he said.

"Me too."

Astrid expected to have to interrupt them, but they broke apart sooner than she'd imagined. _They both must still find this weird_ , she thought.

"You have news?" she asked the other woman, who nodded.

"I do. I'm not sure you'll like it, though."

 _Not again_. "What is it?"

"Well, I did find out what the woman calls herself. 'Nadder' or 'Deadly Nadder', apparently."

"Oh? How do you know?"

Valka told them both about what the hunter she dealt with had said.

"So Viggo doesn't know where she is. Smart choice."

"What should I do now?"

There was only one thing to do, logically. "You need to find this woman. See if you can discover any clues about her life or where she's from that might help you determine a hiding place."

"But I don't even have a name. Only a nickname."

Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Do you remember what she looked like?"

He nodded grimly. "It'd be hard to forget her."

"Do you think you could draw a more or less accurate portrait of her?"

"Yes", he replied, comprehension illuminating his features, "I can."

"Great. Well then", she looked back at Valka, "you'll have a name and a face. Now, Viggo wouldn't have chosen just anyone for the job. He would've made sure to hire the best. So that means that this woman must have some kind of a reputation. If you move among the right groups of people, you should stand a chance of finding her."

"How could I find the right groups of people?"

"I'll send you help, of course. Ragna and maybe someone else will have to go with you, I suspect. But in any case, your deals with the hunters are done."

Astrid knew what Valka would ask next. "So can I free the dragons now?"

"Of course. Just make sure to do it at night. Bring enough dragons from your nest to make sure you free absolutely everyone. If we're doing this, we might as well do what harm we can to Viggo's trade."

"Agreed." She looked at Hiccup. "I should probably get going", she said to him, her tone sad. "Those dragons have been locked up for long enough."

"I know", he answered in the same voice. "I understand. You're doing this to help me, Mum. I really appreciate it."

Astrid sensed that they needed some time alone.

"Well", she said, "I have a few things to do. You can stay here for a couple of minutes before my people start asking things. Goodbye, Valka. You'll hear from me soon."

And with that, she stepped out of the tent, dodging questions about who the new rider was.

* * *

"Why all the fuss?"

"There was a man who tried to steal some of my nip a few days ago. I had to put some extra protection measures, I'm afraid."

Their voices were a fair distance away, but not too far for Stoick to overhear their conversation. In the days he'd spent here, this was only the second time he could hear someone aside from the old man, though. Before, it had almost always been him alone, tending to the grass, and muttering to himself about random things. The day after Stoick had begun hanging around the place, a weird-looking woman had come, but Hofferson's name hadn't come up.

Hiding in one place without doing anything, knowing his son was in danger, was extremely irritating to Stoick. More than once he'd considered leaving and trying his luck somewhere else, but he persevered. He was convinced of the connection he'd drawn, and this would be his best bet to find Hofferson. Hopefully this time would be the lucky one.

"Why would someone want to steal it?" the voice that was not the old man's asked.

"He had a dragon. The beast was rolling around in my field when I came out."

"Really? Interesting. I hadn't heard of anyone other than Hofferson keeping any dragons." At the mention of her name, the chief of Berk immediately paid more attention.

"I know. My first thought was that it was one of her men, until I realised it wasn't like her to steal from her providers."

"Nor is it like her to hire someone who does."

"Exactly. Anyway, does she want the usual amount?"

 _By 'she', does he mean Hofferson, since he's been talking about her? Or is it someone else?_

"Yes. No new dragon riders in her group, as far as I know. Of course, she doesn't let me know much. Maybe this isn't enough, and she gets more from a different provider."

Stoick grinned. Oh, this was perfect. It was like a present from Odin himself.

"Wouldn't put it past her. Here you go."

He couldn't see the exchange given where he was, but he could hear the unmistakable jingling of a bag of coins being handed over. He whistled lowly to Skullcrusher, who was nearby, so the dragon would be ready. Carefully, he looked around the tree and saw the old man along with someone else walk inside the house. He quickly called his dragon and they walked until they could see the front door. Soon enough, it opened, and a man left. He was dressed in an eccentric fashion reminiscent of the clothes Johann wore, so he was probably a trader. Stoick took special note of a poach that hung from his belt. It seemed to be loosely attached.

"Stay here, Skullcrusher", he murmured. He took a scarf from the dragon's saddle and tied it so that his face was covered. Then he went into the village and began walking in a hurried pace. When he reached the man, he bumped into him, and as discreetly as he could, yanked the pouch, breaking it free and hiding it in his large hand. Unfortunately, the man must have been used to people trying to steal from him, because he immediately felt around his belt and noticed the missing item.

"Hey!", he cried, but Stoick was already pushing people away.

"Catch him!" he exclaimed. People were disconcerted. "He's a thief!" the man cried again. Before anyone could react, though, Stoick was out of the crowd and running between two houses. He didn't hear anyone chasing after him, but just in case he didn't stop until he reached his dragon.

"Skullcrusher, go to the other side of the island!" The Rumblehorn didn't need any more prompting and took off. While he caught his breath, Stoick allowed himself a grin. He leaned forward and put the pouch to Skullcrusher's nose.

"Get a good whiff, boy. You'll have to follow him."

* * *

"You called for me, brother?" Ryker asked, walking into Viggo's tent.

"I did." The elder Grimborn picked up the parchment on his desk. "I need you to have this delivered to our friends back at Knifepoint."

His brother took it and read it, frowning.

"A bounty on the Haddock boy's head?" he asked. "There's already one."

"Set by the _chiefs_ , so many people from _our_ circles won't be interested. This one comes from _us_. The professionals will be interested in that."

"And why kill him now?" he asked. "I thought you said killing him wouldn't get us anywhere."

Viggo sighed. As usual, his brother failed to see beyond the obvious. "We don't want him to actually die, of course. However, this will put a lot more pressure on Hofferson. It'll reinforce the idea that if she doesn't want the boy to be in any more danger than he already is, then she should accept my terms soon."

"Why don't we stop this right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"We've been trying to get the Dragon Eye back through very... complicated means. Why don't we just capture Hofferson and torture her until she gives up its location?"

Viggo chuckled. "Brother, dear, you clearly don't know Astrid Hofferson. Do you think _I_ would break under interrogation?"

"Of course not."

"She's no different. And even if we were to find out its location, we can't just storm into her place. She's bound to have many soldiers, maybe even dragons, to protect it. And from what I've heard, her men are willing to die for her. I can't say the same for our hunters. If it came down to it, I think they'd run away. So there would be no guarantee of our victory."

Ryker grunted. "You just like the game, don't you?"

Viggo grinned. "Guilty as charged."

* * *

"Are you sure this is fine? I don't want a repeat of last time", Hiccup said.

Astrid grinned. "It's okay. I'll do my best not to get hit over the head for a few coins."

"I'd very much appreciate it."

"Seriously though, I can't keep you and Toothless stranded all day. You'd go crazy and just leave on your own one day. I find this alternative to be much more reassuring."

"If you say so." Once more, he and his Night Fury were accompanying Astrid and Stormfly on one of her trades. It was true that he was getting bored. After his mother's visit last week, not a lot had happened. He wished he'd had longer to spend with her, but she had her duties. That was another thing that bothered him about this whole situation: the fact that there wasn't much he could do, and others had to step in. He hated feeling so helpless.

They landed on yet another nameless island and walked to a tavern. After what had happened last time, Astrid agreed to have Hiccup come in and sit down somewhere else to watch.

"I don't need a chaperone", she'd said, "but for the sake of your nerves, I'll let you do it."

The blonde went straight to the bar, while Hiccup sat down at the first table he came across. Since this was a pirate island, he didn't bother hiding his face; everyone was an outlaw here.

What he didn't know, though, was that a certain man a few tables across recognised his features. He looked down at the drawing he had and smiled; it was the same person. He reread the price being paid; it'd be more than enough to sit back and relax for a while. He didn't know why the Grimborns wanted him dead so badly, and he didn't care. Placing a few coins on the table, he got up and left.

* * *

 **A/N: I just wanted to make clear that Hiccup doesn't condone Astrid's actions, and I'm not trying to justify her. I hope that comes across in the writing. Another thing I wanted to clarify is that Stoick's storyline, as well as Valka's, takes place more or less around the same time as Hiccup's and Astrid's.**

 **Anyway, sorry this took so long, but studying for that stupid exam really sucked my will to write. I do hope to have another chapter up this weekend, though, before the second semester starts. See you then!**


	25. First attempt

**A/N: Fun story: this should've been up a few hours ago, but the first Harry Potter film was on, and I caught it near the beginning, and there was no avoiding it. :P**

* * *

Hiccup watched Astrid talking with someone whose face he couldn't see from this spot. At one point, he thought he saw them exchange something. Once this happened, Astrid raised three fingers at him behind her back. That was his cue to leave; she'd told him it'd be too suspicious if they both went in and out at the same time. Placing a few coins on the table, he got up and out of the tavern, then went into the alley beside it to wait for Astrid.

He really hoped nothing happened to her in however long it would take her to get out. He was so worried about it, though, that he forgot to keep an eye on what was around him. A mistake that soon became clear to him when, all of a sudden, he felt a blade press against the small of his back, while another hand firmly grasped his shoulder. A mouth spoke in his ear.

"Keep quiet, and walk forward" said a man's voice. Hiccup shuddered.

"Let me guess, you'll gut me like a fish if I don't" he replied dryly, trying not to let his fear show. The man chuckled.

"Clever boy. Start walking."

Hiccup swallowed and did as he was asked. As they weaved among the crowd, he considered screaming for help, but the faces around him didn't look friendly at all. No one would be likely to defend him if his attacker decided to put his blade to use. Which was probably why this man wasn't bothering to hide, he thought dismally. He had Inferno with him, but in the current situation he wasn't sure he'd be able to draw it fast enough.

He had no choice but to continue forward, hoping for a chance to escape. He noticed the man wasn't holding him very tightly; undoubtedly, he believed himself capable of reaching Hiccup if he tried to run. That worked in his favour; despite his peg leg, he was actually quite light on his feet. He needed to wait for the right moment, though.

Hiccup took in his surroundings. Running in the middle of a crowd would be complicated, but his small frame would be advantageous to him. He'd be able to slip between people more easily. He didn't even need to outrun the other man for long, just enough for him to reach the dragons. If he could find a distraction...

A table with a few barrels on it, nearby him. The barrels were precariously balanced; it wouldn't take a lot to make them fall down, and there was a man standing right by it. Perfect.

He took a deep breath as quietly as possible, so as not to alert his attacker to his plans. Once he was close enough, he hooked the man's foot with his own and discreetly shoved him forward into the table. As he expected, the barrels rolled down, and the hand holding him let go. Hiccup didn't know if the man had jumped back or if he'd been pushed by the other guy, but he didn't stick around to find out as he run forward as fast as he could.

He didn't stop until he was outside of the town. Now he needed to gather his bearings enough to figure out which direction Toothless would be in. He hadn't taken more than a few steps, however, when he was roughly pushed to the floor.

"Thought you could escape me, huh? Smart, but not enough." Hiccup tried to turn his head, to at least see the man's face, but a hand in his hair kept his nose against the floor. "Now let's go." The hand pulled at his hair, while the sword again pressed against his back. Having no choice, the rider got up and walked in the direction he was pushed in. Away from both the town and the forest, and towards the cliffs.

 _This is bad, really bad,_ he thought. He could attempt his dragon call, but he doubted Toothless was close enough to hear him. He could take Inferno, but the man hadn't noticed it was a weapon and he wanted to keep the element of surprise. Suddenly, the hand grabbed his arm and turned him around, and he came face to face with his attacker. Well, not really, since the man was wearing a hooded cloak and a scarf.

"Viggo said we had to bring proof of your death to collect the bounty", the man said. "Well, I think your head should do it."

A lot of things ran through Hiccup's head in that moment, but the main one was _shit_. The man –assassin, he now realised- raised the hand that held his sword to strike, and the boy didn't wait any longer to draw Inferno. He wasn't a moment too soon; the two blades clashed, sparks flying. Hiccup did his best to stand his ground, but the man was obviously much stronger than him, and eventually his wrist was bending so painfully that he was forced to drop his sword, lest he break something. The assassin raised his sword again, and Hiccup's panicked reaction was to grasp the arm, trying to stall him. Despite his efforts, the sword was slowly making its fatal descent towards his face.

However, his racing mind pointed out that the assassin was focused only on the sword, and inspiration stroke. He risked his balance for a second to stomp on the man's foot with his metal leg, knowing this would do more damage. His attacker instinctively recoiled and loosened his hand, and that second of distraction was enough for Hiccup to break free, turn and start to run.

Truth be told, he didn't even know _where_ he was going; all that he knew was that he needed to get away from the man. He wished he'd had enough time to pick up Inferno, but he didn't think he had that long. He could hear the assassin behind him, panting and cursing as he came after him. Suddenly, a heavy weight landed on him, forcing him to the floor, and he realised the man had jumped on him. Hiccup wasted no time and tried to roll away from him, but he rolled with the rider. The auburn-haired boy kept rolling, hoping to stop the man from using his sword.

Unfortunately, in his desperation, he'd once again failed to look at his surroundings properly, and thus he didn't notice that they were nearing the edge of the cliff until suddenly there was no more ground beneath him. For an instant, he relished the familiar thrill of freefalling, until he remembered there was no Toothless to catch him. Desperate, he tried to grab on to the ledge, and by some miracle, he succeeded. The problem was, the assassin held on to his legs, and the sudden pull was enough for Hiccup to lose grip. Terror filled him for a moment, until another hand grabbed his, stopping his –their- fall. He looked up and into Astrid's strained face.

He'd never been more grateful to see her in his life.

* * *

Jan was an extremely talkative man, like most traders. Even after Astrid closed the deal, a couple of minutes passed before she was able to excuse herself and leave. When she went into the alley and didn't see Hiccup anywhere, she immediately had a bad feeling about it.

 _Calm down_ , she told herself. _Maybe he went somewhere._

 _But without saying anything?_

She looked around for clues. She noticed that in one spot in the ground, there were two rather deep, symmetrical gouges, as if two heavy things had fallen down... like a person's feet. _Uh oh_. She inspected the ground more closely, but the dirt was too hard for feet to leave their mark. She couldn't determine a direction, so instead she tried to figure it out. If the person had dropped from the ceiling, they wanted to pass unnoticed. The other end of the alley led into the heart of the pirate town, away from the main road. Not a lot of people walked around there, so it would be hard not to attract attention. Therefore, this person had to have taken the main road.

She walked into it and immediately saw a stall right in front of the tavern. She went up to the man tending to it.

"Did you happen to see a very skinny boy and someone else come from that alley? The boy is missing a leg."

"I don't know, maybe. I could be enticed to remember, if-"

The man didn't get to finish his sentence as Astrid took a dagger and pressed it to his gut.

"I don't have time for this", she growled. "If you saw them, you'd better tell me, unless you want me to empty your bladder right here."

"All right, all right! They went over that way." The man pointed, and Astrid backed down.

"Thank you", she smiled, and dashed off in that direction. If her reasoning was correct, and it seemed to be, presumably the person who'd attacked Hiccup would follow the main road until it ended. Stormfly might be able to track him, but she didn't want to waste time going back to get her. While she ran, she thought about the island's geography. Where she was going, there was nothing other than the forest... and cliffs.

 _Shit_. Her feet hit the ground harder, and soon she found herself at the end of the rows of houses. Here, the dirt was softer, and footprints were visible. There were plenty of them, many of which belonged to people with only one foot. Soon, though, she noticed one pair that emerged from what obviously been a fight, if the large, shapeless, shallow hole on the ground and the dirt bunched up on the edges were any indication. The footprints went towards the cliffs.

Astrid run off again, trying to ignore the ominous feeling she was getting from all this. However, it proved to be correct when she saw two men struggling on the rock face, not far from her. She could tell the one underneath was Hiccup. The relief that she felt at having found him flooded her for a second and prevented her from noticing how dangerously close to the edge they were until it was too late. Before she could shout a warning, they were tumbling down the cliff. Astrid sprinted to the spot where they'd been and saw Hiccup's fingers barely holding on. Without thinking, she dropped on her stomach just as the other rider's hand let go. He didn't fall longer than a second; her hand wrapped around his wrist.

Unfortunately, what she hadn't noticed immediately was that the second man was holding on to Hiccup. The sudden pull on her hand was so strong that her other hand flew to the floor, trying to find something to grab on to. There was nothing, however, and Astrid's body slid forward and down. Her upper body was already dangling before she was able to bury her feet into the ground and stop her fall.

Once she felt somewhat stable, she was able to focus on Hiccup, who was looking at her with an expression of amazement.

"Astrid..."

She didn't answer as she grit her teeth and tried to pull her arm up. One second was enough to let her know there was no way she'd be able to bring up both men. What was worse, she could feel her hand slipping, as her grip started to give way, finding the weight it had to hold to be too much. Hiccup noticed, too, because he looked at their joined hands. His eyes went to her, then downwards, to the man hanging. Astrid followed his gaze. She only needed to see the man for a second to recognise him; anyone in her business would. That wasn't important right now, though.

Hiccup looked back up at her, and he seemed resigned, as though he understood that Astrid wouldn't be able to save him from his fate. She expected him to say something, a message for Toothless or his father, perhaps.

What she didn't expect was for him to reach down with his free hand and fiddle with his prosthetic. She didn't have any breath left to ask him what he was doing. After a couple of seconds in which her hand slipped a few more inches, she heard a click from Hiccup's metal foot. He then kicked at it, and it loosened completely, detaching itself from what was left of his leg.

Only now did Astrid realise that the assassin was in fact holding on to the prosthetic. The contraption fell down into the ocean... and so did the man.

The relief in her arm muscles was immediate. Her body was no longer being pulled down, so she used her other hand, the one that was grabbing the ledge (somewhat pointlessly) to grasp Hiccup's arm. He didn't notice; he was looking down at the ocean. At the man he'd very intentionally let fall. This was going to take him a while to process, of course, and she respected it, but right now she really needed to get him up.

"Hiccup", she said gently, and his gaze met hers. His face was unreadable.

"Give me your hand." That seemed to snap him back into action. He grabbed onto one of her arms, and with some difficulty, she managed to slowly pull him up. With one final yank, they fell back, him on top of her. The fact that he didn't immediately roll off her, blushing, spoke volumes of his state of mind. His eyes were staring into nothingness.

"Hiccup", she spoke again. He focused and this time noticed the position they were in.

"Sorry", he mumbled. He tried to get up, until he realised he couldn't. "Uh, I'm going to need a hand."

"More like a foot", Astrid tried to joke in an attempt to lighten the mood. The ghost of a smile crossed his lips.

"Leave the humour to me. It doesn't suit you", he told her, rolling to one side and sitting.

"Seriously, though, do you have a spare foot?"

"Of course", he said in an almost offended tone. "In Toothless' saddle."

"Well then, let's get you there." She leaned down and he put an arm around her shoulders. She got back up slowly, helping him to his feet. Foot.

"Did the trade go well?" Hiccup asked as they started walking.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. No problem."

"Mission accomplished, then."

Astrid barely smiled. Yeah, she'd come here for some dragon nip and other things, and she'd acquired them. Hiccup, on the other hand, had got a lot more than he'd bargained for.

And if her suspicions were correct, then this was only the beginning.

* * *

Stoick walked along the town's main road, glaring at anyone who looked at him for too long. The first thing that had become clear to him upon stepping on this island was that this was pirates' territory. He was uncertain if they knew him or not, but he wanted to make it clear that nobody should be messing with him. Everyone seemed to get the message.

For two days, he'd followed the trader's ship from a distance. Eventually, they'd arrived at this island. He had no idea if the man was meeting up with Hofferson here, or if this was a stop in the way, but he'd planned to follow him wherever he went. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on this place being so crowded, and he'd soon lost the man. So now he was looping in a circle, trying to find him. He'd been to one of the alleys that led into the centre of the town, hoping to see him. However, the other streets were mostly deserted and seemed to have no taverns or other places for a trader to be in, so he'd decided to return to the main road and hope to find the man again. If too long passed, he'd go back to his dragon and keep following the man's ship. Eventually, the man had to lead him to Hofferson.

At long last, he saw him come out of a tavern. He walked closer and heard him speaking with someone who was clearly a pirate.

"...wouldn't happen to have any of that, would you, Jan?" the pirate asked. Jan, the trader, sighed.

"No, I gave the last I had to a mercenary back in Thor's Rock. I can try to procure more for you, but-"

"Nah, that'd take too long. Forget it, then."

Jan nodded and walked away. Stoick walked a couple of paces behind him, trying not to be too obvious about following him. When it became clear that the trader was going back to his ship, Stoick went back to the forest, to where his dragon was. However, he was more than surprised to find he wasn't where he'd left him.

 _I hope this doesn't become a habit of his._ Luckily, his footprints were easily visible, so he began following them. After some walking, he heard the Rumblehorn's grumbles. He smiled, until he heard another dragon sound. A very familiar one.

He rushed towards the noises and stopped cold at what he saw. Skullcrusher was happily playing with two dragons, but not just any dragons.

A Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder.

* * *

 **A/N: Sadly, the term starts again tomorrow, and this is looking to be a busy one. Busier than the previous one, to be sure. The update schedule will probably become more similar to the one that Burning had (leaning more towards two weeks than one). I'll still do my best to write though :) (I'll try not to make you wait long, especially not with this ending, mwahaha)**


	26. Under siege

For a few moments, Stoick remained standing there, frozen in place. The first one to notice him was Skullcrusher, who ran over to him and rumbled. When Toothless saw who was there, he warbled happily and trotted to his side, demanding scratches. He complied with the dragon absently, staring at the Deadly Nadder, who chirped but made no move to get closer. Although that dragon had been on Berk for a long time, she obviously didn't know him well, since he'd never spent a lot of time with the bondless dragons that lived with them. She wouldn't attack him because her friends trusted him, but that was all.

Still, the portion of his brain occupied with this reasoning was a very small one; for the most part, he was trying to come to terms with what he was seeing. If there had been any doubt that the Night Fury was Toothless, it had already evaporated when the dragon came to him. He didn't really recognise the Nadder, but he had no doubt who it belonged to. This seemed like a present from the gods themselves. He thought that following the trader might lead him to Hofferson, but not so soon.

As the shock wore off, he realised that he hadn't yet thought about what he was going to do when he found his son. For starters, he wanted to talk to him. After that, though, what? The right thing to do would be for Hiccup to stop running and turn himself in. If he was innocent (and Stoick had no doubt he was), then there had to be some way to prove it. The possible problem with that plan, however, was that Holger and the other chiefs were clearly convinced of Hiccup's guilt, and changing their minds would be complicated. Not to mention the hostility that his son would face at every turn, from the guards, the council, maybe even other prisoners. Even so, what other choice did he have? Stoick would make sure to stick by his side at all times, and discourage anyone from trying anything. He himself might also face consequences for going after Hiccup even after being expressly told not to, but that didn't worry him.

There was an even bigger problem as well: Hofferson. She'd convinced his son to run, and probably had him under her spell. So in order to talk to Hiccup, he needed to separate them. If they were together, he wouldn't listen to him. But how did he get him away from her?

He eyed Skullcrusher pensively. The Rumblehorn wasn't a match for a Deadly Nadder's speed, so outflying Hofferson was out of the question. However, the dragon's tracking senses were excellent. He could try to find Hiccup. This was a crowded island; how difficult could it be to lose Hofferson among the people? It was still risky, though, and if he failed, he might lose his advantage. Moreover, Skullcrusher couldn't really disguise himself in a town; he was made for the forest.

He didn't have time to ponder his dilemma further. Toothless and the Nadder suddenly snapped to attention and began running down the path he'd come from. The only reason why they'd react like that was if they'd heard their riders calling them. Stoick wasted no time jumping on Skullcrusher and telling him to follow. After only a short distance, he heard panting and voices. He concentrated on them until he was able to hear the words.

"...might be easier if you put me down." Stoick's heart jumped in his chest; that was Hiccup's voice. He was afraid he might never hear it again. "I know running with one foot isn't the best prospect, but-"

"No time. Look, here come our dragons." That was unmistakably Hofferson speaking. Unsure of what to do, he pulled on his Rumblehorn's reigns to let him know to stop without making a sound. The dragon stopped far enough that he couldn't see the dragons, or their riders. Hopefully the opposite was also true.

"Who are those guys?" Hiccup's voice rang again, and he heard the clicking noises that meant he was preparing Toothless' tailfin for takeoff.

"I'll tell you later. Let's go." The flapping of wings filled the air then. For a moment, Stoick thought about following, until he remembered how outmatched he was. But another idea came to him. What if he followed them without them noticing? Skullcrasher's sense of smell was sharp enough to catch a trail a few hours old. If he hung far enough that they didn't see him, maybe he'd get a better chance to catch Hiccup alone at some point. He just had to remain at the right distance.

His mind made up, he waited for about ten minutes before telling Skullcrusher to go. They had sounded like they were in a hurry, so they were probably flying fast. There should be enough distance between them by now. Once they were up, he looked around and didn't see anyone else in the sky with him. Despite that, his dragon immediately went in one direction, and he smiled. The gods were most certainly smiling down on him.

* * *

The minute Astrid had seen the assassin's face, she'd known that things had just got infinitely more complicated for them. What she had underestimated was just _how much_. She knew that the Ghost, as they called him, never worked alone, but rather had a bunch of apprentices, something she'd deduced from how he seemed to have killed people in different places simultaneously. She also knew that, if the Ghost was after them, then so were all the people from his network. And one thing was for certain: it was a _vast_ network. She'd heard of deaths in practically every island in the archipelago, regardless of their size or if they were pirate dwellings or not. No place was safe from the Ghost and their followers once they had chosen a target. And right now that target was Hiccup.

The first order of business, obviously, was getting off the island. As far as she knew, the Ghost didn't ride dragons, so they'd be safe in the sky, at least long enough to collect their bearings. Therefore, she'd hurried up as much as she could while helping Hiccup along. She had hoped to get to their dragons in peace, but unfortunately that wasn't going to happen.

They hadn't taken more than a few steps into the forest when she heard the cracking of a branch. Just in case, she immediately dropped to the floor, bringing Hiccup down with her. He started to protest, but she put a hand over his mouth, listening. Nothing... nothing...

The rustling of clothes. She dragged Hiccup under a bush and looked around. He seemed to understand the situation, because he did the same and eventually pointed her to the top of a tree, where a pair of boots could be seen. Sloppy.

She evaluated the situation. Obviously, whoever was on that tree had a bow or crossbow. She had her axe, but to aim properly she'd need to step out of the bush, giving plenty of chance for the assassin to shoot her. No, she needed something else...

"You need a distraction", Hiccup mumbled by her ear. "If I roll behind that tree, that should give you enough time to aim."

Before she could protest that he was missing his foot and it was a terrible idea, he was rolling out and she heard the _thwang_ of a crossbow being shot. Cursing under her breath, she got up. From her spot, she could see the man clearly enough. His brown clothing made him easy to spot among the green leaves, and he was focused on her right, where Hiccup had been. He noticed her and began to aim, but her axe was already flying towards him. He tried to dodge it in vain; it struck him in the shoulder. He dropped his weapon and clutched his wound. It didn't take more than a few seconds for the man to fall off the branch.

Astrid spared a glance towards Hiccup, ensuring he was all right, and then marched towards the assassin, ready to get information out of him. However, when he saw her coming, he reached for his belt, and she wasn't fast enough to stop him from slitting his own throat with a dagger he had. She kneeled next to him.

"Who sent you?" she growled, even though she was pretty sure. He may be dying, but there were a few precious seconds left. When he shook his head, she twisted her axe, which was still in his shoulder, and he made a gurgling noise that failed to be a scream. The blood from his throat flowed out faster.

"Who sent you?" she asked again. The man gasped.

"He did. He's coming for him." No more words could come out of him as he wheezed. Astrid turned to find Hiccup on his knees next to her, staring at the man in horror.

"He did that to himself?" he whispered.

"Assassins tend to do that."

"Assassins?" He looked up at her, even more horrified. "Now there are _assassins_ after me?"

"Looks like it." She grasped her axe's handle. Hiccup flinched as she yanked it off the man's shoulder. It was a gruesome wound, but it was nothing compared to his throat. "We should get going. More could be coming." She wiped her axe on the assassin's clothes and tucked it back.

"More?" Hiccup had his face in his hands. "First all those chiefs, and now this?"

"Hiccup", she said gently but firmly, grasping his arm. "Viggo's playing with you. He wants you to break so you can tell me to give up the Dragon Eye." She pulled him up. "Don't let him. I know it's hard, but we'll get through this, I promise. Now, we need to go. Quickly."

"Uh, I can't run."

"You don't have to", she smirked. Before he knew it, she'd grabbed his waist and was throwing him over her shoulder, which was harder than she'd thought it would be. It seemed like he did have some muscles despite his thinness. Interesting.

"Hey!" he protested. Astrid chuckled as she began running. "Put me down!"

"Sorry, but this will be way faster than you hopping along." Granted, he weighed a bit more than she'd have expected from someone so lean, but she could handle it.

"So I get to be carried around like a bag of potatoes. Nice", he commented dryly.

"Oh, excuse me, does this hurt your manly pride?" she teased, and he scoffed.

"I don't think anyone would enjoy being carried like this."

"Too bad. Now shut up and call Toothless, would you? We need to get out as fast as we can."

They both did their dragon calls. For Astrid it was a bit harder to howl while running and carrying weight. By the time she got it out, she was panting.

"You know, this might be easier if you put me down", Hiccup commented. "I know running with one foot isn't the best prospect, but-"

"No time. Look, here come our dragons." Toothless and Stormfly were running towards them, and Astrid doubted she'd ever been so glad to see them. She carefully put Hiccup down on Toothless' saddle, and he immediately began rummaging through it until he found what turned out to be another prosthetic foot. Astrid climbed on her dragon while Hiccup adjusted his foot and the tailfin.

"Who are those guys?" he asked her as he finished. He must have realised how easily she'd recognised the assassins.

"I'll tell you later. Let's go." Both dragons took off, and it wasn't until the island was a small speck behind them that Astrid felt better. Next to her, Hiccup's frow was burrowed, and the blonde reminded herself that the other rider had just killed a man, apart from everything else that had happened.

"Hiccup?" she asked tentatively. He looked at her.

"What?"

Where did she even begin? "How are you feeling?" The question felt stupid the moment it left her lips, but it needed to be asked.

He snorted derisively. "How do you think? Now I'm being chased by even _more_ people who are apparently assassins and very good at their job. I'm _fantastic_."

She sighed. "I know that. I was asking about... the first man."

His expression fell. "Oh." Then it immediately darkened. "I don't want to talk about it."

She hesitated. "It was self-defence. More than that, self-preservation. There was nothing else you could've done. I was never going to be able to lift you both. I would've dropped you."

"I'm well aware."

He wouldn't say any more, it seemed. Very well, then, she'd let him stew on it until he sought her out to talk about it on his own. At some point, he would.

"Anyway, we need to figure out where we're going."

At that, he raised his eyebrows. "I thought we were going back to your camp."

She shook her head. "We can't. The people who are after you... they're extremely dangerous. And they're everywhere. We need to go someplace far away and lay low until they've exhausted themselves searching for you. There's one thing these people lack, and that's patience. If after a week or so they haven't found you, they'll stop looking and will only attack if they happen to see you."

"I still don't understand why we can't just stay in your camp if that's the case."

"Because the way from here to there is the most dangerous", she replied flatly. "They know we ride dragons, and I don't doubt they've prepared for it. They're probably on ships, ready to take down anything in the sky. What's more, if they follow us, they could end up in the camp, and one lone assassin can hide himself easily. No, we need to go somewhere they wouldn't expect us to."

"And that is...?"

"Somewhere that's already dangerous for you. Somewhere the chiefs might be looking." She thought it over. "Meathead would be too risky. Berk, on the other hand..."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"It's the perfect cover. It's the other way, and nobody would expect you to go there."

"And what if anyone finds us?"

"You hid a Night Fury for months, Hiccup. I think we can handle a couple of days there."

"Fair enough", he sighed. "I wonder..."

"What?"

"Has my father told anyone about what happened?"

"You probably know better than me."

"I think Dad would want to handle this on his own. On the other hand, I'm not sure how he'd justify being away for so long." He paused. "Besides, someone like Johann might have spilled the beans already."

"If your father wanted to take care of this by himself, I would imagine that was one of the first things he made sure wouldn't happen."

"Hmm. Could be."

He was clearly deep in thought, and although part of her felt like she shouldn't pry, she was worried.

"What is it?"

"Other than going back home for the first time in... gods, I don't know how long?" He snorted and shook his head. "It's just... what if someone sees me, and I have to act normal? Or, even worse, what if they know and are afraid?"

Astrid sighed. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."


	27. Cornered

**A/N: I wanted to upload this before RTTE premieres and it gets lost in the wave of new fics that are definitely going to come, hehe. I'm a bit nervous about this one, because it contains a scene I've been planning for a long time.**

* * *

They flew straight through the night. Astrid felt bad for the dragons, who were clearly tired, but there was no time to waste. She didn't want to risk staying in one of the many small islands that were scattered about. Although there was no reason for the Ghost to be in any of them, she preferred to err on the side of caution. Berk seemed like a safer bet than the unknown. Plus, flying in the darkness made them practically invisible. And so they went on and on, every now and then taking bites out of the provisions they carried. Hiccup barely spoke during all this time, though she didn't know if it was because he was tired or if he was still processing everything. Either way, she gave him his space while she pondered other things.

The sun was already high in the sky when the island came into view. Astrid could see the range of emotions in Hiccup's face, from homesickness to weariness.

"It's only for some time", she reminded him softly. She didn't know if that would cheer him up or bring him down even more. He just nodded.

"Where do we go?" she asked. He knew his way around better than she did, after all.

Hiccup considered it. "Remember the cove we were at when you left last time? That's where I hid Toothless."

"Yeah, but Toothless is black. He can hide in any shadow. We aren't so lucky. We need somewhere we won't be in plain sight, or at least somewhere we can know in advance if someone is coming."

"True." He thought about it a moment longer. "Well, there's the caves of Jotunn, I suppose."

"Caves?" That sounded much better. The dragons wouldn't be keen on being in such an enclosed space for long, but they'd understand that it was for safety. If they were too restless, they could always go out late at night, or if that proved too dangerous, give them dragon nip.

"Yeah. Bit of a tight spot, but I think it should be a great hiding place. Nobody has any reason to go there."

"Then it's settled."

Stormfly followed Toothless as he circled around the island, making sure to stay far away from it, until suddenly he flew in a line straight for some cliffs. In a matter of minutes, they had landed at the mouth of a cave that looked bigger than she would've expected. Astrid immediately dismounted Stormfly, and Hiccup followed suit with Toothless.

"How far in does this go?" she asked him. He shrugged.

"Pretty deep, there's another entrance actually. Further ahead, it splits into several caves. Hopefully the dragons won't be too bothered by staying in it."

There were some pieces of wood scattered about, which had obviously been used as torches before. They both grabbed one and, having their dragons light them, went in. After about half an hour of walking and choosing paths when there was more than one, they came across a sort of bubble. The space was large enough for them and their dragons to be comfortable, she thought.

"Okay", she said, "I think this is it for today. The dragons need to sleep. After that, they'll need to eat."

"So do we", Hiccup pointed out. "I'm more tired than hungry, but after sleeping I'll have to get something."

"We will", she told him. "You go first. I'll keep watch. Then we switch."

He sighed. "Astrid, you're just as tired as I am. I know what you said about being used to going on little sleep, but you're still human. You need it. Toothless or Stormfly will wake us up if something's wrong. Their senses are much better than ours, after all."

Astrid blinked. His concern was touching, and she really would like to get some rest, but the idea of nobody standing guard was jarring. "What if-"

"Nothing's going to happen", he insisted. "Nobody from Berk comes here, and you seemed pretty sure that the assassins aren't on the island."

Meanwhile, the dragons, oblivious to their riders' discussion, were already getting ready to turn in. Toothless was burning part of the ground to lay on it, and Stormfly soon cuddled up next to him.

Astrid sighed. Hiccup wasn't going to relent, she knew that. "Fine", she accepted. "But if something happens, it's on you", she tried to joke.

He wasn't amused. "It always is", she heard him mumble as he settled against Toothless. As he curled up on himself, she considered the previous day's events and wondered if he'd be able to sleep, despite his exhaustion.

* * *

One of the consequences of leading the kind of life that Astrid did was that she was a light sleeper, no matter how tired she might be. So when Stormfly nudged her awake, she woke up immediately and blinked, disoriented at the complete darkness that surrounded her. Then she remembered where she was. She considered trying to find a light, when her dragon nudged her again, and she understood. She'd trained Stormfly to be stealthy at all times, even when she was alerting her to the presence of enemies, and that was exactly what she was doing.

Her mind raced. The first thing she thought was that she needed to wake Hiccup up and get out of here. And that would be easier if whoever was in here didn't see them, so it might be best to move around in the dark, trusting their dragons' senses. She didn't know if this person was really an enemy, but either way it would be better for them not to be found.

She felt her way around until she touched Hiccup's arm. She grabbed his shoulder and shook it firmly.

"Mmm... what?"

"Shh", she shushed quietly. Then she got close to where she thought his ear was and whispered, "Don't talk out loud, but there's someone in the caves."

"What!?" he exclaimed, and she winced.

"I said _be quiet_!" she mumbled.

"Sorry", he said, this time at a much lower volume. "Do you think they heard me?"

"I don't know how close they are."

"How did you even- oh. Stormfly?"

"Yeah. I don't know where they are though. We need to get out through that other entrance you mentioned. Can Toothless find it in the dark?"

"Of course. Didn't I ever tell you about how he can find things through sound?"

"Uh... no."

"Oh. Well, he can."

"In that case, let's go."

They gathered up their sleeping skins and clumsily managed to get on their dragons. Astrid had been worried that Hiccup would make noise with his prosthetic, but he was surprisingly quiet.

She didn't hear him give a command, but suddenly Toothless made a strange, whining sort of roar, and a purple light illuminated the path in front of them for a second before dissipating again. Although she had no idea of what that was, she leaned close to her dragon's ear and told her to follow Toothless. After a while of silent walking, the tunnel must have widened, because Stormfly suddenly took off. In the absence of the dragons' footsteps, she thought she could hear faint noises, but she might have been imagining it.

Time seemed to stretch on forever. There was something about running away from the unknown in a place that was both pitch black and deep underground that was incredibly unsettling, and she was glad she wasn't afraid of the dark or enclosed spaces. She trusted Stormfly's instincts to keep her safe, yet this was a more primal kind of fear.

Eventually, they got out. Astrid never saw any light, but suddenly she could see the stars and the moon above them. She looked back at the mouth of the cave and saw nothing.

"What was that all about?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid turned to him. "No idea", she said truthfully. "But Stormfly sensed there was someone in there."

"Weird. I suppose it could've been a villager. As far as I know, though, nobody has any reason to go."

"Whatever that was, we need to get some food now. I'm starving and so are the dragons."

"And I need a spare for my prosthetic."

Astrid looked at him. She hadn't thought of that. "And you have that at your home, I presume?"

"At the smithy."

She contemplated it. It was a risky idea, so if they were going to do it, they might as well go all the way. "All right. Let's land in the forest. Toothless and Stormfly can go fishing somewhere. We go to the village and get some food and your foot. Sounds good?"

"How are we going to do that without being seen? It's dinner time. Everyone's going to be heading towards the Great Hall. There will be people near the provisions."

She smiled. "You let me worry about that. You go to the smithy. You know it better than anybody, after all."

* * *

Stoick had been wondering about where Hiccup was going ever since it had become clear that Skullcrusher was flying in Berk's direction. After some pondering, he'd come to the conclusion that Hofferson must have some hideout closer to his island than he'd ever imagined. However, when Berk came into view and his dragon flew straight towards it, he realised that Hiccup was really going there. Why? If he walked around the island, the villagers would know and that was probably that last thing he wanted right now. What was Hofferson's edge in all of this? He didn't understand.

Seeing that they were going to the caves of Jotunn showed him that they were definitely trying to hide. Even so, it was still confusing. Skullcrusher stopped at the entrance to look at him inquisitively. Stoick was going to grab a torch, when he realised that it would make him perfectly visible to the two people he was looking for, if they were still inside. No, he'd have to trust his dragon's instincts on this.

"Let's go, boy. Quietly." Any sound reverberated like crazy inside those caves, and he didn't want to be heard. It would be hard, considering a Rumblehorn's size, but he hoped not to bring attention to himself.

Skullcrusher walked inside for a long time. Although he couldn't see a thing, which was bothering him, he consoled himself with the fact that nobody would be able to see him, either. At one point, he thought he heard noises and nudged his dragon to stop. For a while, there was nothing, and he had just decided that he'd imagined it, when he heard a strange roar that definitely belonged to a dragon. Skullcrusher rushed forward. However, he didn't hear or see anything else. As they went on and on, he wondered if they were going to go all the length of the tunnels. When, after a long time, he saw the other entrance, he got his confirmation.

The Rumblehorn flew up and remained in the air for a moment, sniffing. After a second, he went towards the village. Stoick only let him get close enough to know where exactly Hiccup was; then he made him land in the forest, so nobody knew that he was here. His dragon hid as he walked towards the smithy, where Skullcrusher had been headed to. He was still a distance away when he heard Snotlout's voice.

"Hiccup! When did you get back?"

* * *

Hiccup should've seen it coming, really. The gods hated him, he'd always known that, but these last few days they were outdoing themselves. And after all, Gobber had never been the most organised of blacksmiths. It was common for him to leave rocks just lying about in case Grumpy was hungry, a fact that he'd unfortunately failed to remember. All things considered, was it really that surprising that, of all the times he could've tripped and made a hammer fall to the floor, it would happen there and when _Snotlout_ was nearby to hear him? And of course, he didn't keep quiet about it, which attracted the attention of a few passers-by. Hiccup resisted the urge to wince when Bucket waved cheerfully at him.

"Hiccup?" Great, Gobber. "What are you doing here? Did you get cleared?"

Cleared? Did that mean Gobber knew about what had happened to him? It made sense, he supposed. If, like he suspected, his dad was out there looking for him, then he had to leave someone he trusted in charge. That someone was Gobber, and he wouldn't accept an excuse for why the chief had to leave suddenly.

"Uh..." What could he say, though? Nothing came to his mind. No excuse for his prolonged absence. Away. He had to get away before things got worse. "I have to go."

"Go?" Snotlout came closer, and Hiccup resisted the urge to just turn and run. "But you just got here!" his cousin insisted, grabbing him by the arm. Oh, he should've run while he had the chance.

"Let _go_ , Snotlout", he said, trying in vain to pry Snotlout's hands away. His other hand was occupied by the spare prosthetic he'd retrieved. At least that part of the plan had gone his way. (The only one.)

"Come on, what happened in Meathead? We want to know."

Oh, if only he knew. But Hiccup wasn't about to tell him.

Then another familiar, booming voice rang, and Hiccup's blood froze in his veins.

"Yes, Hiccup. What happened in Meathead?"

With all the commotion, he hadn't really paid attention to everyone who was coming his way... and thus hadn't noticed his father, who was looking at him with an expression that was both hopeful and apprehensive. He wanted to hear the truth, that much was obvious. He probably believed him to be innocent... or so Hiccup hoped.

"Dad?" was all he said, stupidly. Despite his fear of what could happen, affection swelled within him at seeing his concern. He missed his dad.

"Tell me, son."

He wanted to, he really did. But he needed to sit down and have a long talk with him. These weren't the right circumstances. Speaking to his father would have to wait.

The truth came to him again. He needed to leave. And if getting away from Snotlout was hard, getting away from the chief would be nigh impossible. The thought was enough to scare him into action, and he began trying to break free again.

"I have to go."

"But your dad-" Snotlout began. Hiccup looked at the prosthetic in his hand and got an idea.

"I said _let me go_!" And those words were accompanied by hitting his cousin's hand with the prosthetic he held. Snotlout immediately released Hiccup's arm and stepped back, rubbing his hand.

"Ouch. You didn't have to be so touchy about it", he muttered, before turning away and leaving. Hiccup, meanwhile, started to walk backwards. He needed to get to his back room. From there, he could run into the forest, call Toothless, and they'd leave. Yes, he liked that plan. Astrid could catch up with them once they were out of sight. Unfortunately, Stoick seemed to realise what he was trying to do.

"Hiccup", he began, walking into the building, getting closer to him. Hiccup shook his head.

"Dad, don't." This was already difficult enough as it was, couldn't he _see_?

"What has she told you, son? Whatever it was, it's a lie. You don't have to keep running. Let me help."

Hiccup resisted the urge to scoff. Of course, _that's_ what Stoick would assume. That Astrid had somehow brainwashed him into running. He wished he could make him see the truth, but he didn't have the time. Or the patience.

"You can't, Dad. You have no idea of what I'm up against." Like saying that was going to be enough. Yeah, right.

"I do, actually. I know the chiefs better than you do. I can-"

"That's not what I mean! That's not the worst of my problems." He could've told him, right then and there, that there were assassins after him.

 _I killed one of them, Dad. Let him drop right into the ocean and didn't look back._

Again, that thought running through his mind, like it had been ever since it happened. No. Hiccup would have to deal with that one alone. His father had enough to worry about.

While he spoke, he was still walking backwards, until he hit a wall. His eyes turned to the side, where the door was right next to him. So close. Just a few inches away...

"I'll help you, son. I promise."

Hiccup resisted the urge to scream in frustration. Why couldn't he understand that he _had_ to leave? He was so tired of it all. Why did he have to be so damn _stubborn_? "No, Dad. If you want to help, let me go."

But then his father did something _stupid_. While he'd been trying to speak to him civilly, Stoick took the chance to walk forward the last steps.

"I-"

He did it without quite realising that he was. He wasn't even thinking, his mind was panicking and the only thing running through it was _get away_. When he saw the sword on the wall, within reach, the thought morphed to _make him back off_. It seemed logical, so he'd grabbed the weapon and pointed it at his father before he could think it through thoroughly.

" _LET ME GO_!" he shouted. Maybe if he raised his voice, his dad would listen.

For a few seconds, he stood there, practically seething. This had to make him understand, right? If he had a sword, it showed he was being completely serious. He had to get away, and Stoick shouldn't stop him. But then he actually looked at the man's expression, and it was one of horror. That was strange. He'd never been afraid of dragons, so why should someone with a sword scare him? Especially someone like Hiccup, who was so thin and-

And his _son_.

At that moment, what he was doing dawned on him. He was _threatening his own father_. Why the Hel had he thought that was a good idea? He must not be thinking straight. A wave of tiredness washed over him. Gods, he needed to sleep. And eat. He hadn't got much of either in the cave. Still, before that, he needed to escape. And before _that_ , he had to explain to his father.

"I..." he trailed off. What was he supposed to say? He hadn't lowered the sword, either. He probably should, but if he did, there was no telling what the other man would do. No, he had to stand his ground now.

Then he felt somebody come from behind, and his father's shocked face changed into a frown. He didn't have time to panic before he registered it was Astrid. She stood beside him and put her hand on the arm that was holding the sword. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her. Her face was worried, but also comforting, in a way.

"Hiccup", she said softly, "let's go." As she talked, she pushed down his arm.

He looked at the sword, then his father, then back at her. She wasn't saying anything about the situation. She was just helping him with what he'd been trying to do. Right now, he appreciated the support.

He could leave. Which meant he didn't have to be holding that damn sword against Stoick anymore. He promptly dropped it. For an instant, he considered saying something to his father, but what? He'd already done the deed. Words wouldn't erase it. And right now, he couldn't bear to look at his face and see disappointment, or worse, fear. So he turned around and walked out through the back room, relieved that he heard nobody following.

Thankfully, the dragons were right there. Astrid must've heard what was happening, or perhaps they'd just happened to return from their fishing. Either way, he climbed on Toothless without really thinking. The dragon warbled a question, but he didn't have the energy to answer it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Astrid shaking her head slightly at Toothless.

It was only as they were rising up in the air that his mind began to clear. Enough that he could hear the villager's shouts to "catch her" and "what happened to him".

He tried to ignore them.

He couldn't.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I know this is OOC for Hiccup to do. That's exactly the point. He's not acting like himself. He's tired, from not sleeping, from the whole situation, from self-loathing because he killed that dude (I still haven't touched on that, on purpose), and he's feeling cornered. His thought process isn't entirely coherent, something I hope I was able to convey (you'll be the judges of that, hehe). And you can bet he's going to regret his actions.**

 **Anyway, please tell me what you thought of this. I really hope I managed to get the meaning of it across.**


	28. I'll be there for you

Astrid guided Stormfly south, away from Berk, without really knowing where she was going. Her mind kept replaying what she'd just seen, the expressions of horror on both Stoick and Hiccup's faces. She was glad that he'd reacted to her telling him to go. He'd been quiet the whole time, though. She couldn't see his face, since he was flying behind her, but she could guess where his thoughts were. Toothless was probably following Stormfly because it made sense, not because Hiccup had told him to.

He needed to rest. That was the first conclusion her mind came to. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and she suspected that was part of the reason he'd reacted the way he had. To sleep, however, they needed to find some place to stay, first. If she remembered correctly, there were some islands south of Berk, where wild dragons lived. She had no idea where they were, though. She made Stormfly hang back until she was level with Toothless.

"Hiccup?" she asked tentatively, and was relieved when he replied.

"What?" he said in a tone lacking any emotion. He had completely retracted into himself, then. Thor knew what kind of self-loathing he was going through. Well, s _he_ knew. She'd been in his shoes many times before.

"Do you know if any of the islands here are safe?"

He thought for a moment. "Dragon Island should be fine, I think. Plenty of wild dragons live there, so people are afraid of going."

"Can Toothless get there without you directing him?"

"Sure." He leaned forward and murmured something to the dragon, who warbled worriedly. "Done. Just follow us."

"We will." After retrieving a bottle from her saddlebag, she whispered two commands in Stormfly's ear. The Nadder chirped and flew up, turning upside down so Astrid could jump on Toothless. Hiccup turned around to look at her, confused.

"What are you-"

"Shh." She handed him the bottle. "Drink this."

"What is it?"

"Just trust me."

"Okay." The fact that he didn't put up a bigger fight was worrying. He took a couple of sips before giving back the bottle and sitting straight.

Astrid waited. It wasn't long before he began swaying slightly.

"What..." he mumbled. She smiled and took off her shoulder pads. She tucked them inside Toothless' saddlebags, before putting a hand on Hiccup's chest and pulling him back into her, his head resting on her shoulder.

"Sleep", she whispered. "Just sleep."

He mumbled something, but he was soon snoring gently. He nestled into her, and she tightened her arms around him. At least he would have no nightmares.

* * *

When Hiccup came to, it felt like he'd been sleeping for ages, and it still wasn't enough. His body and mind were both numb, and it took a second for him to collect his bearings. This wasn't Berk... he seemed to be in some sort of cave. There was a fire, and he could see cliffs in the distance that looked like Dragon Island. But why-

The previous night, as well as everything that had happened before, came back to him like a kick in the gut. Berk. His father. What he had done. Stoick's face-

"Good morning", a voice broke through his thoughts. Hiccup turned his head to find Astrid sitting on the other side of the fire, watching him. "Or, well, good night, I suppose."

He looked outside again and noticed that it was dark. Had he been sleeping all day? No wonder he felt so strange. But wait, the last thing he remembered clearly was flying on Toothless, so how had he got here? Astrid had given him something to drink, some sort of tea... wait.

"What did you give me last night?"

She shrugged. "Just something to help you sleep. Fast-acting, too."

"Why?"

"I figured you needed it."

Hiccup considered all the thoughts running around in his mind. He'd been unable to sleep back in the caves of Jotunn, so yes, he definitely needed it.

"Thanks", he murmured.

"Anytime. Although you're going to have to teach me to fly Toothless some day. I was kind of afraid that a storm or something might come and we'd fall because I didn't know how to handle the pedals."

"Of course." He paused. "Wait. How did you land then?"

She smiled. "I had Stormfly pick Toothless up and deposit us on the ground. Toothless wasn't too happy about it. I had to give him some extra fish as a treat to stop him from being grumpy at me."

"You could've tried it, you know. It's not that hard."

"Unlike you, I'm not a fan of experimenting with things that could get me killed. Especially when there's someone else involved."

"Point taken."

It was silent for a few seconds, until Astrid got up.

"I'm going to see if Stormfly's back with some fish", she announced. "You must be starving."

His stomach growled when she mentioned food. She walked outside and he heard her say something. Immediately, Toothless bounded in and came to his side, warbling. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as his dragon greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey, bud", he said, scratching his head. Toothless curled up around him, and he leaned back against him, still rubbing him. Eventually, he stopped, and try as he may, his thoughts went to everything that had happened. Everything that was _still_ plaguing him, ever since the pirate island.

When he'd dropped that assassin back then, it had made sense at the moment. The realisation that it was the only way he could be saved had made his stomach twist, and he thought there was no chance he could do it. Until he felt his hand slip from Astrid's even more. Then, instinct had taken over, making him untie his leg. When the weight was gone from his legs, however, the weight in his mind took over. He understood what he'd done. And sure, the man was an assassin, and maybe he deserved it. Who knew how many people, innocent people, he'd murdered already. But that didn't make it any better, not to him. He'd still chosen to kill him.

It was the same mental debate as when Astrid had killed those Hunters back in Glacier Island. Practicality against morality. Hel, in this case, the circumstances were even more desperate. There was no doubt in his mind that, if he hadn't done what he did, he would've died at that moment. Many people might even call him heroic for taking an assassin down. And yet he still had to struggle with his consciousness. It was much worse than when he'd killed Drago, because at least at that moment he hadn't been in control of what he was doing. This time, however, his actions had been completely deliberate. That, more than anything, was what scared him.

Last time, he'd decided to accept that what Astrid did was sometimes necessary. Now, _he_ was the one killing people because it was the only possible solution. He regretted it, but he'd done it anyway. So if he was capable of that, what else could he be capable of, if he justified himself? That question had been eating away at him all through the flight to Berk, replaying his attack over and over in his mind.

The answer, it seemed, was something he'd discovered last night. Sure, between his internal debate and his exhaustion, both mental and physical, he hadn't been thinking straight. Yet that didn't justify what he had done in the slightest. It had been completely, one hundred percent unnecessary. He could've run away. He could've tried to talk his way out of the situation somehow. These were his people; they weren't predisposed against him. They might think it strange that he was running, but they wouldn't stop him.

Instead, he'd resorted to violence. And that disgusted him. The fact that when he wasn't in his right mind, he could do something like threatening his own father. A man that he loved, always had, even when he didn't seem to care much about him. Did that mean that his instincts weren't as peaceful as he'd thought? Was he bound to react like a wild animal when he got cornered? He couldn't even trust himself right now.

Astrid walked in, Stormfly trailing, and Hiccup looked up at her, still deep in thought. A very unhelpful voice in the back of his mind wondered if, given the circumstances, he'd be capable of lashing out against _her_ , who'd done nothing but help him through all this.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He suddenly felt very glad that Astrid had had the foresight to give him something to sleep. He wouldn't have managed it otherwise.

"I've got food", she announced. As she placed the cooked fish on plates, she watched him. Hiccup was relieved to see nothing but concern in her expression. No fear, no apprehension. Even then, it was starting to become unnerving.

"What?" he asked as she gave him his plate. He realised that he was ravenous and practically began attacking the food.

"I'm just wondering how you are", she said simply, eating more slowly. "Trying to gauge if you want to talk or not."

Hiccup swallowed. "I just want to eat right now."

Astrid chuckled. "Yeah, I've noticed."

Once they finished eating, she produced two mugs of something and gave him one.

"Mead?" he asked. "Where did you get this?"

"I always carry some", she smiled. "Never know when you're going to need it. Like right now. Drink."

He took a sip. The mead was strong, but with a hint of honey laced through. It warmed him up, so he drank some more. Then he looked down at the liquid. It was too dense to reflect anything, but he wondered what his expression was right now.

His father's expression. That, he remembered well. Did he have that same look in his face?

"Is the mead answering?"

Hiccup looked up at Astrid, confused. "What?"

She smiled. "You're looking at that mug like it contains all the secrets in the world."

"Oh. No. I was just..."

"Just?"

In the previous days, she'd left him alone, but it seemed like tonight she was going to push him to talk. Oh well, at least he was better rested this time. He heaved a sigh. "Just thinking of my dad's face. He was looking at me like..." he trailed off. He didn't need to describe it, thankfully; she'd seen it.

"Like he didn't recognise you."

"Yes. And... I don't know... How do I deal with that? How do I go on, knowing that one of the people who I love most is afraid of me?" And with good reason, which was the worst part of all. But he didn't need to add that. She'd understand. He hoped she also had an answer.

Astrid didn't reply immediately. Instead, she got up and went to sit by his side. She took a sip of her mead.

"The truth is, Hiccup, most people who are afraid of you don't actually know you. Now, I understand you think your father does. He believes so, too. But he has no idea of everything that's going on. A lot has happened to you, Hiccup, and whether you like it or not, it's changing you."

"I _don't_ like it", he argued. "I hate the fact that I killed that assassin. And what I hate even more is the knowledge that there was absolutely nothing else I could've done."

"Your thought process changes", she said, nodding. "I remember, when I was a little girl, wanting nothing more than to be the captain of a pirate ship."

Hiccup snorted. He had no idea of what that had to do with anything, but at the very least it was amusing. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I thought the pirate life was fascinating." She shrugged. "Then I actually got into a pirate ship. I saw how women were treated. Reality slapped me across the face. And you know what? I've never told anyone."

"Am I supposed to feel flattered?"

"Not really. I was just showing you how you never truly know someone." She took another sip and looked up at him. "I'm not saying it's easy to ignore the way people look at you, in this kind of life." She paused. "But I hope you can find some consolation in the fact that when _I_ look at you..." She smiled then, and it was warm and bright. That, at least, hadn't changed one bit, and he was glad for it.

He managed to smile back and raised his mug, a sort of silent thanks. They both finished their drinks and then Astrid got up, extending a hand to him. He looked at it and then at her, puzzled.

"Come. There's something I want to show you."

He bit back the comment that he probably knew Dragon Island way better than her. Instead, he took her hand as she helped him up. He probably should've let go when they began walking, but he didn't, and neither did she. It was comforting, in a way. To know there was at least one person who still wasn't afraid of him. Who looked at him normally.

They walked outside and around the cave, to the other side, until they stopped at the edge of a cliff. The night sky opened up above them. He was going to ask what they were doing, when he noticed Astrid scanning the darkness above them. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"There", she said, pointing with her free hand. Hiccup followed her finger and noticed a particularly bright star. "That's the lodestar. It's how sailors find their way home."

He kept looking at the star, waiting for her to say something else, and after a pause, she did.

"When I look at you, that's what I see. I see my way home."

His gaze went back down to her. Illuminated only by the moonlight, her face seemed unusually colourless, but that didn't diminish her beauty in the slightest. She wasn't looking at him, so he felt no embarrassment watching her.

Other people might say that her appearance didn't match her personality at all. Hiccup knew better, though. Sure, she'd done terrible things, but underneath the tough woman who considered murder to be a part of her life, there was a caring person, somewhere. A person who loved her dragon and genuinely worried about the people who worked for her. A person who, apparently, knew exactly what to say to make his chest flood with warmth. If only she'd let _that_ part of her personality shine, instead of the other one. He appreciated her, and everything that she was doing for him, more than he could tell her.

He wanted to thank her for her understanding, for her words. He had no idea how to do so appropriately, though, so in the end he just interlaced his fingers with hers. A simple gesture, but one he hoped would convey his feelings.

They stood there for some time. Eventually, they went back to the cave. As they did, Toothless bounded over to him and grinned. Hiccup petted him gratefully. No matter what, his beloved dragon was always there for him. He should value him more, and he made a mental note to get him some of his favourite fish when he had the chance.

Hiccup got both their sleeping skins out while Astrid put out the fire. Or so he thought. When he turned around, he noticed her staring at the flames, motionless.

"Astrid?" he asked. She sighed and went to sit on her skin, next to him.

"Hiccup... I wanted to say I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow, confused. "You're sorry?"

"Yes. I'm sorry for everything that's happened. If I hadn't..." she looked away. "If I had just stayed away from you, and watched from the distance, like I'd always done before, none of this would've happened. You'd still be home, and there wouldn't be some madman out to find you..."

"Or", he interrupted firmly, "I'd be a slave working for Drago because he stormed our island and took all our dragons with the Bewilderbeast. Or perhaps Dagur would've caught me by surprise and killed me. You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

It was true, but if there was one person he didn't blame for all of this, it was her. He didn't regret having met her, even if it had led to this situation. Not only had they stopped a war from happening, he'd managed to show what amazing creatures dragons were to even more people, and made a (very particular) friend. And he needed her to understand that.

"Astrid", he said. "If you asked me if I would do everything we did all over again, knowing that it would lead to this, the answer would be yes."

She looked at him again and opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't stop. "We stopped not one, but two mad men. One of whom would've conquered the whole archipelago and tortured every dragon around. And with any luck, we're going to bring down a third." He leaned closer to emphasise his point. Only when her eyes widened for an instant did he realise what it actually looked like, but it was too late to back down. "We're making things better for everyone. And if the price I have to pay for that is this... persecution, then so be it. And also..." he looked away now; he couldn't meet her eye when he said the words. "I met you. That's been... an _interesting_ experience."

He heard her chuckle and dared to look at her. She was smiling at him.

"Interesting? Is that really the word you'd use?"

He lifted his arms with open palms. "I don't know. I'd probably have to use several words, if I'm being honest. Some good and some... not so good."

She grinned. "That sounds more like it. I guess I'll take 'interesting' as a compliment then."

"Yeah." He yawned. "It's getting late. I need to sleep."

"Do you want some more of that tea?"

"I think I'll try to sleep by myself this time, thanks." He wasn't sure if he'd manage it, but he had to try. Getting some things out in the open had also helped, or so he hoped.

"Okay." Astrid put out the fire, and he heard her shuffling into her skin next to him.

"Hiccup?"

"What?"

"We're going to catch Viggo, I promise. No matter what it takes, you'll be a free man again. Even if I have to personally kick his ass until he talks."

He chuckled. "I'd like to see that."

* * *

 **A/N: Apparently, Vikings didn't actually use the stars to guide themselves, but I always planned to include this scene, so whatever. Consider this artistic license :P**


	29. I want to break free

**A/N: Wow, the response to last chapter was amazing! Thanks everyone! Buut, the other characters in this story demanded my attention :P**

* * *

Valka looked down at the map and then back up at her surroundings to make sure she was following it correctly. Some of the names written on it were ones she'd never heard before, although the drawings were clear enough. According to the map, she should be getting close. She patted Cloudjumper's head.

"Get ready", she told him. He growled softly in response.

If Astrid knew what she was doing, she wouldn't be happy. This wasn't the plan, after all. She was only supposed to free the dragons she'd sold Mahzun, which she'd already done. However, after all the hunters ran away in fear, she'd wandered around their fortress and found a map detailing all the locations of their other dwellings.

For a moment, she'd considered attacking them all, until she remembered the situation: the whole point of this was helping Hiccup, not the dragons. Going after all of the hunters' islands meant spending precious time that she should use on locating the woman that was the key to her son's freedom. Not to mention, it would alert the Grimborns that something was amiss, and they might act in consequence. So as much as she wanted to do something, she'd have to let them be, for now.

Even so, one of the islands was fairly close to the one she was in, and the idea was too tempting. Surely two hits instead of one wouldn't make such a huge difference. And so here she was, with all the liberated dragons, and about to free some more. She'd have to use a different tactic, though. With the previous island, stealth had been key. She'd sneaked past the guards and into the dungeons, and Cloudjumper had remained hidden until the first dragons were released.

Now she was being followed by a horde of dragons, so there was no chance of avoiding being seen. A full frontal attack would have to do. After all, these men were used to dealing with two or three dragons at a time, not nearly two dozens, and she knew where their weapons were. She could direct the dragons to hit those.

They flew past a mountain and the island came into view. As they neared, nets began flying towards them, but they were avoided without too much trouble. Valka gestured with her staff to a catapult she saw, and one of the dragons immediately destroyed it. Seeing this was what they were supposed to do, they all spread and began taking out the hunters' weaponry. Valka could see the hunters' faces as they looked at her and pointed, confused as to her presence.

An arrow came out of nowhere and forced her to jump out of the way to dodge it. The sudden move caused her to lose balance and she tried desperately to regain her footing. Just as she began to fall backwards, Cloudjumper twisted and she took the chance to hook her staff to the edge of his wing. Sensing the precarious position she was in, her dragon began to glide while turning his body away from the hunters, so as to help her get to his back. Unfortunately, he must have been attacked, because he flapped his wings, causing her to lose her hold. When she started falling, she shook her staff desperately; she was still far from the ground. Thankfully, one of the dragons that belonged to her sanctuary flew past and caught her with its paws.

She patted its side with her staff to show her gratitude and surveyed the battle around her. There were no more long-distance weapons still standing, as far as she could tell, and most of the men had run, but a few remained, carrying bows. One of them must've been the one who shot at her. She guided the dragon to bring her to the men, who were busy aiming at other dragons.

She dropped from a safe distance, and before they could do much more than turn to her, she'd already hit them both with her staff. She then took one of their bows and examined the arrows. Probably poisoned with dragon root, she thought. She looked around to see whether there was anyone else that she had to worry about and found nobody.

Cloudjumper came back to her and she climbed on his back. Then she guided all the dragons to the inner part of the island. There were a few more weapons and people to take care of, but less than the ones outside, and the dragons quickly overpowered them. Once everything was under control, Valka scanned the area for the entrance to the dungeons. After she found it, she told Cloudjumper to land. Going in, she was met with the sight of at least fifteen dragons locked in cells. Even though she'd already seen this many times, she continued to be disgusted by the fact that people would hunt creatures as amazing as dragons and treat them like they were scum. It was one of the reasons why she hadn't come back to Berk, after all. She couldn't bear to see the carnage that took place there regularly, even less after discovering the truth about dragons.

She was glad to find that the doors of each cell were opened by a lever outside of them, which saved her the trouble of finding the keys. She began freeing the dragons, who all came out easily enough. A few of them sniffed her with distrust and flew away, but most seemed to realise that she wanted to help.

Among the captured dragons, there was a Razorwhip, which was rare. When she opened its cell, it paid no attention to her, but rather ran out and down the hallway, in the opposite direction of the exit. Despite her attempts to call it back, it was pointless.

Confused, Valka decided to finish releasing the rest of the dragons. Once that was done, she went down the hallway, trying to find the Razorwhip. She walked around some caves and eventually into another row of cells, but this one was empty. Strange. She continued her path and eventually ended in an office with maps and papers everywhere. There was also an open door that led outside, probably the exit that the dragon in question had used.

Going back outside, she checked the rest of the island for more cages and found a couple more. A few of the liberated dragons had flown away immediately, including the Razorwhip, but most of them were still hanging around. After she ensured she hadn't missed anyone, she smiled at the dragons. It looked like there would be a lot of new additions to the sanctuary.

She climbed on Cloudjumper and rattled her staff to attract everyone's attention.

"Time to show you your new home", she told them.

* * *

Heather was mostly asleep when the shouting began. At first, she barely stirred; the hunters were noisy men, who liked to raise their voices over nothing. Besides, the last session with them had lasted for a long time, and she was exhausted. However, when the shouting turned into screaming, and combined with screeching, she opened her eyes. Whatever was going on wasn't normal.

She strained to listen. Sadly, there was no window in her cell, so she couldn't see what was happening. The hunters were telling each other to gather their weapons and get in position. Were they under attack? A sudden idea occurred to her. Had Astrid come to her rescue? Hope filled her for a second, before she realised that if Astrid were to come, she wouldn't launch an assault. That wasn't her style.

 _Unless it's a distraction and she's using it to sneak in here._

She tried to tell the voice in her mind to shut up, so as not to be disappointed, but it was difficult. The screeching got louder, and soon she understood she was hearing dragons. Lots of them. Whoever this was, it probably wasn't Astrid; there were only a few riders in their group, after all. Maybe it wasn't even a person; maybe there was a group of dragons migrating.

 _But if that was the case, they wouldn't be attacking the island._ And Heather had no doubt that they were under attack, if the hunters' attitude was anything to go by. So, again, what was going on?

Now she could hear the hunters' grunts as they were hit by the dragons. Soon, no voices remained, and she knew that they had all been taken out. Whether they were dead or merely unconscious, she didn't know, and it didn't matter. What was important was that this was a perfect opportunity to get out, find Windshear and escape. Especially since she didn't know if whoever was out there was friend or foe.

Heather reached inside her boot and took out something Astrid had given her a long time ago. It was a metal contraption made to help her pick locks. She'd never been good at it, not like Astrid, but she'd have to do it now.

While she struggled with the lock, she heard more noises, although it was impossible to tell what they were. However, what she heard clearly were the screeches of dragons, this time much closer than before, which meant they must be inside with her. Either the captured dragons had broken free, or _someone_ had set them free. She still wasn't taking any chances.

She stopped when, among the sounds, she distinguished Windshear's high-pitched screeches clearly. And they were coming towards her.

"Windshear?" she asked softly, so that nobody but her dragon could hear.

A few seconds later, the Razorwhip emerged from one of the cave's entrances. She ran all the way to her door and raised her tail. Understanding, Heather stepped back, putting the metal thing away while Windshear cut the door cell open. The moment she did, Heather went over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, girl", she murmured, and the dragon gave a deep rumble of contentment. "What do you say we get out of here?"

She climbed on Windshear and she immediately continued running in the same direction as before. Heather had no idea where the exit was, but her dragon apparently did, because after a while they came to a room with an outside door.

Heather leaned over and opened it to find a _lot_ of dragons outside, around fifteen or so. They all stared at them, but made no move to attack or approach them in any way. In any case, Windshear must've sensed that she shouldn't tarry, because she took off immediately.

As the island grew smaller in the distance, Heather allowed herself to breathe for the first time in... Gods, how long had it been? She'd lost all track of time in there. She was no stranger to being captured, even tortured, but this was beyond anything she'd ever experienced. She took a look at her wounds and decided that she probably needed to find a healer before she did anything else. And then she'd have to get to Astrid.

For now, though, she leaned back on the saddle until she was lying on Windshear and closed her eyes.

Free. She was free.

* * *

"So, I'd say you're in a bit of trouble right now, chief."

Stoick raised his head from where it was buried between his hands to glare at Gobber, who was unperturbed. "I'm well aware, Gobber."

"I mean, between you not telling the people what happened with Hiccup, disappearing without a trace, and now _this_..."

Stoick sighed. "I _know_. You don't have to tell me. I was there, remember?"

He was there to see his son doing what he would've never expected. He was there to see the villagers, confused and scared because they had no idea of what was happening. And in the end, when some of the elders began demanding that he go after Hiccup immediately, he was also there to see their faces. The _glee_ in them. They were men who'd never agreed fully with his son's way of doing things, who'd sided with Mildew when he'd first began trying to blame Hiccup and the dragons for every misfortune that befell them.

And now they had the most legitimate reason to be against his son that he could've imagined. Some of them had always hated dragons, but a few of them just wanted power, and were seizing the opportunity. He had no doubt that right now, they were rallying people, trying to convince them that they'd always been right, that Hiccup wasn't to be trusted, and by extension, Stoick. That it was time to choose a new leader, time for the Haddocks to step down from the chiefdom and hand it over to someone who wouldn't endanger them all.

Or at least, those were the words that he heard while he struggled to get away from the crowd and into his house. The moment he was far away, he stopped paying attention to their words. His mind was in too much turmoil for that.

He kept replaying the scene over again. Hiccup had been in a panicked state, that much was clear from his face. He was trying to get away from Snotlout, and when Stoick spoke up, it seemed like his panic only increased. Him hitting his cousin was nothing strange, but when he began backing up, like a cornered animal, that was probably when his father should've realised something wasn't right. He didn't, though, and kept trying to reason with him. And just when he was about to reach out to him... Hiccup had lashed out, both verbally and with a weapon.

At the moment, he was too shocked to react in any way. He'd remained where he was, frozen, trying to understand what was happening. It seemed that his son was going through the same, because after a few seconds his expression transformed, as though he didn't understand what he was doing, either.

And then Hofferson had walked in, and everything had been clear to Stoick. Hiccup hadn't shown any signs of having been affected by all the time he'd spent with the girl, but that had changed. Whatever she had said to him while they were running away had obviously impacted him deeply. Or maybe it hadn't even been anything in particular; just being by her side while she committed whatever crimes she did had been enough for him to become a different person.

Whatever it was, it had been effective; Hiccup, his kind, trusting son, had turned to Hofferson's side to the point of being able to threaten _him_. The boy he'd raised was gone, and it was all thanks to that woman. He could only hope that the change wasn't irreversible, that there was some way to bring back the Hiccup he knew and loved. For that, though, the first thing he had to do was separate them.

However, this time he wasn't going after them, not after what he'd seen. He had to accept that, for the moment, he was after two criminals, and he couldn't try to handle them himself. He'd have to speak to the other chiefs and join forces with them. If they saw the change in his demeanour, they'd let him be part of the search. And maybe, if he was there when Hiccup was captured, he could prevent any damage from coming to him. Ensure that his trial was fair.

What the outcome would be, though, he had no idea.

Tomorrow, he was going to go to Meathead and speak to the others. But first, he needed to address his people; they deserved to know what was going on.

If only Stoick knew what to tell them.

* * *

 **A/N: O** **ne thing I noticed is this chapter barely has any dialogue. Probably because Hiccup and Astrid weren't in it to get carried away :P**


	30. The truth of the matter

Gobber sighed as yet another angry-looking villager dropped his sword on the counter with more force than necessary and practically demanded that he sharpen it. The blacksmith grabbed the weapon and turned around without answering. He was biting his tongue so hard not to yell at him, at all of them. He wanted to tell them that he was just as surprised as they were. Sure, he knew what Hiccup had been _accused_ of, but that didn't mean he knew that there had been such a change in him. It would be pointless, though. That wasn't what Berk was concerned about, but rather the fact that he knew what had actually happened with Stoick and Hiccup, and had kept it a secret.

He hadn't liked it when Stoick asked him to pretend that he and his son were gone for some reason other than the truth, and as the days passed and there was no word from either of them, he'd grown increasingly anxious that somebody might discover what had really happened. Thankfully, while a few people were concerned that their chief and heir were taking so long, nobody suspected any foul play.

After last night, however, there were no more lies to be had. Gobber had been confused at first when he saw Hiccup in the smithy. How come he'd returned without telling anyone? As events unfolded, though, it became clear that his apprentice hadn't intended to be discovered. And when he pointed a sword at Stoick... Gobber didn't know what to think.

Yes, he knew the Hofferson lass was dangerous, and manipulative, but he wasn't as convinced as Stoick that she was the sole cause of everything. Hiccup was smart; he wasn't so easily influenced. There had to be some other reason for what had happened to him.

Whatever it was, now everyone knew that Hiccup had changed drastically, and not for the better. Even worse, those leeches from the council were using the opportunity to try and turn everyone against Stoick. Gobber wasn't going to let that happen, even if he had to punch some old man in the face to prevent him from saying more nonsense. (To be honest, he was kind of hoping it would happen.) It was one of the reasons why he hadn't insisted on going with Stoick.

The chief knew that he had to address the village, and he had, that morning before leaving. It hadn't been pretty. They had been yelling and booing at him before he'd even started. It was a good thing that his voice was so powerful.

"People of Berk!" he'd yelled, and everyone had settled down. Mostly. "I know you're all confused and angry, and you have every right to be. I haven't been as forthcoming with you as you all deserve. I was trying to solve this on my own, and didn't want you to worry. But it is time you knew the truth." He took a deep breath. "My son has been accused of... of committing a crime in Meathead territory." There were some gasps at this, as well as a few shouts. The chief ignored them. "I don't know if he did it or not. What I do know is that he's not being himself, and it's all thanks to Astrid Hofferson." A lot of people were confused. They had seen her, but they didn't know what her part in all this was. "The witch has ensnared him, I don't know how, and turned him to her side. What I do know is that, if I get him away from her, if I cut her influence, Hiccup will be back to normal."

Gobber doubted it, but he kept that himself. Other people weren't so quiet, however.

"You already tried to reach out to him here", one of the elder members of the council said, pretending to sound concerned, "and you failed. What makes you think it'll be different this time?" People agreed with him, and Stoick had to shout to make himself heard again.

"For one thing, I didn't get him away from that woman. You may have noticed she was still rather close, close enough to exert her influence. And for another thing, it's going to take time, most likely. Hiccup is as stubborn as they come, and whatever thoughts the Hofferson witch implanted on his head, we'll need some work to get them out."

Gobber was starting to wonder if Stoick knew something that he didn't. There was no other way to explain how convinced he was of what he was saying. Unfortunately, that conviction wasn't exactly carrying over to the villagers, who still looked doubtful. The blacksmith suppressed a sigh. When he was left in charge again, he'd have to deal with a lot of resistance.

"Which is why", Stoick continued, "I'm going to go help the other chiefs find him."

"The other chiefs?" somebody asked.

"Yes. Everything happened on Meathead, during the Thing, so they're involved in the search, too. They rejected my help at first because I was closely involved with their main suspect, but I believe they'll accept me now."

The elder from the council spoke again. "So do you mean to say you're leaving us while Hiccup roams around, clearly not in his right mind and more violent than normal, and with the chance that he might come again?" Gobber wanted to throttle him when he saw his small, satisfied smile.

"He won't", the chief replied, unfazed. "He's running, and he's already been seen here. He wouldn't risk coming again. And you seem to be forgetting that I'm leaving to get _him_. If we capture him, you have nothing to fear." The man tried to say something else, but Stoick overrun him. "I don't expect to be gone long. Skullcrusher is a great tracker. I know you're all confused. So am I, in a way. But I expect to clear all this up very soon."

The speech ended there, but the repercussions were everywhere. People looked towards the Chief's Hall with distrust, and Gobber couldn't blame them. Stoick was so convinced that this Hofferson woman was responsible, that he didn't see what everything looked like to the rest of them. Considering that, it really wasn't so strange that the elders were managing to sway people over to their side. They had strong arguments, after all. Gobber was doing what he could to prevent that, but he knew _he_ was being accused, too.

The only ones who didn't seem on edge about the whole situation were the other riders. He'd overheard their conversation when Fishlegs brought some Gronkle Iron that he'd asked for.

"So do you guys think Hiccup really did it?" The blonde boy was disbelieving of everything, apparently.

"I don't think he's capable", Snotlout answered.

"Didn't he hit you with his prosthetic to get away from you?"

"Yeah, but it's Snotlout", Ruffnut said. "I think anyone could get tired of him and wack him over the head to shut him up."

"Fair point", Fishlegs replied.

"Guys", Tuffnut interrupted. "Do you realise what this means? It means he's come over to our side!"

Ruffnut gasped excitedly. "You're right! Oh, if only he'd visited _us_!"

"We could've taught him so much more! Maybe he'll still come."

Snotlout sighed. "You two are such muttonheads. Hiccup isn't going over to anyone's side. He's too much of a goody-two-shoes to do that. Well, goody-one-shoe, in this case."

"He did point a crossbow at his father, though. That's a bit unlike Hiccup", Fishlegs pointed out.

Gobber couldn't see the other rider's reaction, but by his tone, it sounded like he'd shrugged. "Maybe he was having a bad day. In any case, it doesn't mean he'd actually use it. Maybe he was doing one of his weird 'playing with your mind' things."

"I suppose you could be right", Fishlegs agreed reluctantly. "It does sound more plausible than Hiccup committing a crime, I guess. I know him. He wouldn't do something wrong."

"Like I said, goody-one-shoe."

The riders walked away after that, leaving Gobber feeling relieved that at least someone was still on Hiccup's side. Too bad their parents were unlikely to listen to them.

In any case, Stoick had left him in charge because he trusted him to keep the situation from escalating. And that was what he intended to do.

* * *

Hiccup yawned as he lazily got up from the furs. He looked around for Astrid, only to find her gone. Toothless was there, and he happily came over to greet him.

"Morning, bud. Have you seen Astrid?" The dragon crooned. "Don't know why I'm asking you."

"Well, who knows." He jumped as the woman in question walked in. "Maybe one day he'll surprise us all by talking."

Hiccup laughed. "I know Night Furies have some amazing abilities, but I don't think they're quite there yet."

"True. I have breakfast", she said, showing him a tray with some bread and fruit. He thanked her and took what was offered, surprised at how fresh it was.

"Where did you get this?" he asked between bites. She raised her eyebrows.

"Uh, Berk. I understand that you've forgotten, but that's what we were there to do."

"Oh." His mood instantly darkened. Speaking to her yesterday about everything had felt great, cathartic even, but it didn't mean he'd forget his feelings so easily. And he was bound to mull over it... especially if they had to lie low, without doing anything, for some time.

"Yeah. So anyway, I was thinking that, if we have to stay in this area, we might as well do something useful. I can't just sit around twiddling my thumbs for a week, and neither can you." Hiccup nodded. He'd be grateful for a distraction. "So maybe we could go to Outcast Island."

Hiccup looked at her in surprise. "Outcast Island? What's there?"

"Alvin, of course."

"Why would you want to see Alvin?"

She shrugged. "He might have information about the Ghost. And even if he doesn't, well, I can take the chance to go say hi. I don't do it often, since he's kind of far from my base of operations and all."

That reminded him of when they'd been there to pick up Dagur, about a year ago. She'd known she'd be able to convince Alvin to give up his prisoner. Back then, when he'd asked why, she hadn't answered. This time, though, she might tell him.

"What's up with him anyway?" he asked. "It seems like you know him."

"I thought it was pretty obvious that I did." She smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"I mean... personally. Well enough to know that you can negotiate with him, or even just drop for a chat."

"I know what you mean." She took a sip from her waterskin. "Alvin and I go back a long time. I actually started out with him."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows, surprised. He hadn't expected that. It explained her familiarity with the man, of course. Still, he couldn't imagine Alvin partnering with someone to set up their own criminal empire. And what was more, if that had happened, how had they parted in good terms?

"So he just... helped you become successful? Like partners in crime?"

Astrid laughed. "No, not even close. When I say I started out with him, I mean _below_ him. You know, one of his people. I was in charge of delivering packages, messages... whatever he might need. It was a mutually beneficial agreement. He got jobs done, and I got a roof over my head and food. Granted, it was a shared roof, but I didn't mind."

Hiccup was deep in thought. While he now knew that Alvin was a decent enough man, he wouldn't have imagined him doing something like that for someone just because they asked nicely.

He voiced his objection, and Astrid smiled. "You're right. He wouldn't. He only did it for me as a way of... respecting my father's memory, I guess."

He frowned. "Your father's memory? Wait, your father knew him?"

"Yup. They had drinks together from time to time, and my dad brought me with him whenever he went to the island, so he knew me."

So that explained why Alvin had taken her in, but there was still something bothering him. The words she'd used... "What had happened to your father then?" he asked, although he thought he already knew. Her expression darkened, confirming his suspicions.

"Alvin helped me out more than you can imagine, Hiccup. That's all I'm going to say."

"Okay." The atmosphere had become suddenly tense, and he thought it best to change the subject. "So you think Alvin might know something about those assassins?"

Astrid's face cleared. "Honestly? No. I'd be surprised if he did. But he might be able to talk with the other bounty hunters that are after you."

He nodded, and then realised something important. "He might tell my dad that he saw me."

"Do you really think he'd go all the way to Berk, just to let Stoick know you were there? He knows what it's like to be a hunted man, Hiccup. If we explain the situation, I'm sure he'll understand."

He hadn't considered that. "You have a point", he conceded. Then, to push away the thoughts of being a hunted man, he got up. "Are we leaving now?" he asked.

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Are you in a hurry?"

"No, but we've got nothing better to do."

"Fair enough." She got up too. "Let's go."

* * *

Heather dropped a few coins on her bed before carefully getting up and leaving. She wasn't afraid of being seen; after all, this was the healer's place in an island crawling with criminals. Nobody saw you and you didn't see anybody, that was the unspoken rule. However, if the healer caught her leaving, she'd give her a lecture about not being ready for it, and Heather wasn't feeling up to it.

She walked out of the hut and into the forest until she found Windshear, who greeted her happily and then proceeded to sniff her bandages.

"I'm fine, girl", she told her. "Nothing too serious." Then she went to rummage in her saddle. The hunters hadn't bothered to remove it when they caught her, so they hadn't found the wealth of things it carried. Which was lucky, or she'd have no money on her, and she wasn't sure she was in any state to steal.

She took some more coins and then went to a tailor's shop to get some new clothes. Hers were torn after the time spent with the hunters, not to mention stinking. Afterwards, she went to a tavern and got some food. She was finishing her boar when two men sat down next to her.

"I'm telling you, Viggo's put a great bounty on this Haddock boy! If we get him, we'll be set for life." Heather tensed, but continued to eat, carefully eavesdropping on the conversation. Fortunately for her, the men weren't interested in being quiet.

"Yeah, but all the chiefs in the archipelago are after him, too. What if we cross one of them?"

"They won't find him", the first man said. "I've heard rumours that he's with Hofferson."

" _The_ Hofferson? What does she want with him?"

"No idea, but _she_ will keep him hidden."

"Well, but that's even worse. I wouldn't want to cross _her_."

Her meal was finished, but it didn't matter. She'd heard enough. She needed to get to Astrid as soon as possible. She'd already paid, so she got up and left the tavern, hurrying to her dragon.

Heather couldn't let anything happen to Hiccup. If it did, Astrid would never forgive herself.


	31. Meetings

Astrid watched Outcast Island grow bigger on the horizon and peeked at Hiccup, who seemed deep in thought. Toothless would warble in concern every now and then, and he'd pat his head absently. She sighed internally. She had no doubt that he was still stewing over everything, and even if he had opened up to her, it'd take time. She knew it would. The same had happened to her, after all.

Still, at least they could do something useful while they waited for the whole bounty thing to blow over.

"Are we just going to fly straight in?" Hiccup asked.

"Of course, how else would we enter?"

"Isn't it a bit dangerous? What if they think we're attacking them?"

"They won't", she assured him, but then paused. Last time she'd visited, Alvin had known she was coming, which was not the case now. "On second thought, maybe you're right. Let's just land at the docks."

When they did, two Outcast soldiers immediately came running at them, spears at the ready. They stopped when they saw the dragons, however, and lowered their weapons.

"Dragon Riders!" one of them exclaimed. "Identify yourselves, please."

"Hiccup Haddock", Hiccup said. "From Berk."

"Ah, yes. And..." The man looked up at her and gaped. "Astrid Hofferson?"

She grinned. "Correct. We're here to see Alvin."

"Right. Come this way."

* * *

"Astrid!" Alvin grinned and got up from behind the desk where he was sitting. "Long time no see."

"Likewise, Alvin."

"And Hiccup", he said, turning to the rider in question. "I think it's been even longer since I last saw you..."

"When you helped us defeat Dagur", he nodded.

"Ah, yes. Good times. Your father brought him here after he escaped, you know. But..."

"Hiccup knows what happened, Alvin", she interrupted. "He was with me when we got him out."

"He was?" The Outcast chief looked between them suspiciously. "Wait, since when do you two know each other?"

Hiccup laughed. "That's a long story."

"Yeah, and one we don't have the time to tell you right now", Astrid added. "We came here for business... well, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"It depends on..." she lowered her voice. "Whether you have any information about the Ghost."

Alvin's brow furrowed. He walked past them and, after looking outside his office, presumably to make sure there was nobody listening, closed it and went back to his desk.

"Why do you want to know about the Ghost?" he asked seriously.

"Because he's after Hiccup."

Alvin nodded and considered them both for some time. Eventually, he gestured to the chairs on the other side of the desk. "Please, take a seat."

They did.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is quite secret, and I think it's best if it stays that way."

Astrid felt her spine tingling. At least he knew something, which was more than she'd expected. "What is it?"

"I... don't really know anything about him."

They both blinked at him, astounded, and Astrid was just starting to feel disappointed when Alvin laughed.

"I was joking. Well, sort of. I may know something, but I can't say it's completely accurate information."

Relieved, she nodded. "I was expecting that."

"Anyway. It would seem that the Ghost isn't really one person, but an entire organisation."

"But Astrid already knew that", Hiccup protested. Alvin raised his eyebrows.

"Did you now?"

"I strongly suspected it", she explained.

"Well, your suspicion seems to be correct. And I know this because... it appears I've found their blacksmith. Or at least, one who has worked with a fair amount of them."

Astrid leaned forward, interested. This could prove to be very useful information. "So do you have a name or location?"

"I have both, as it happens. Unfortunately, I can't say that the man is still there, or that the Ghost hasn't decided that he's outlived his usefulness and killed him."

"That's reasonable. So can you tell us?"

"Of course. But be careful when you go after him."

"Always", she said. Alvin raised an eyebrow.

"I know you well enough to know that's not true, and from what I've heard about you", he looked at Hiccup, "it's not true for you either."

Astrid grinned. "Guilty as charged."

* * *

"So you're staying?" Alvin asked. They were watching Stormfly and Toothless playing with each other, far away.

"Yeah", Astrid said. "We need to wait for the waters to calm down before we start looking."

Hiccup hadn't ever seen them talking before, but now that he did, the familiarity with which they interacted was unmistakable. It was clear they'd known each other for a long time. Probably not as long as Alvin had known his father, but then again, there probably wasn't a history of conflict between them.

Staying on Outcast Island would be a strange experience, but at least there'd be other people around. It'd be easier to find a distraction, he supposed. He wished they could leave to find this blacksmith already, but if Astrid said it was too dangerous, he trusted her.

He just hoped that they'd find some answers.

* * *

Heather wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings as Windshear flew. She was more worried with the situation at hand. She really didn't think that Astrid hadn't heard about what was happening by now. She may not even be at the base right now, but Heather still had to go there, if only to let everyone know she was all right.

So deep in thought was she, that she didn't take much stock of the ships beneath her. Didn't hear the shouts coming from one of them. It was only when Windshear suddenly screeched and jerked to one side that she realised they were being attacked. Unfortunately, they'd been caught by surprise, and the next chain that came their way immediately after didn't miss.

Heather reached for her axe and tried to dislodge the chain as they were dragged towards the ship, but it was no use. While she readied herself to fight, she noticed that Windshear's firepower wasn't restrained in the slightest, so she made a signal to her dragon.

The moment they touched the ship, Heather jumped down and immediately charged at the men in front of her. One of them fell victim to her axe, but the others managed to jump away in time. They immediately drew their swords and approached. Knowing she was far outnumbered by herself, Heather whistled. Windshear swiftly whirled around, sweeping her tail and bringing the people surrounding her to their knees. She took down three more of them before they could react.

The people still standing noticed that they needed to get her dragon first, and two of them readied bows. She immediately recognised the arrows from the dragon hunters' ships. Those were poisoned arrows, and if they struck Windshear, they'd both be in trouble.

Dodging those who were struggling to stand, she ran for the shooters and swung her axe in a horizontal line, cutting across both of their bows before they could attack. Without weapons, they stood no chance against her, and she quickly dispatched them. She turned around barely in time to duck and avoid the sword that was going right for her head.

There were still four men before her, and she didn't know if there were more hiding somewhere in the ship, but she had to take care of these first. She pointed at them, and Windshear immediately breathed her fire at them while she jumped out of the way.

With everything seemingly under control, Heather paused to take in her surroundings, especially the dragon root arrows. She saw that, as well as those, the ship had a launcher of dragon-proof chains, the one that had caught them, and another launcher for nets, but the winches on the weapons weren't dragon-proof. Whoever these people were, they were obviously not dragon hunters; they were too amateur for that. Maybe they were being tried out.

When it became clear that nobody else was coming for her, she ventured into the chambers of the ship, Windshear at her side. She kept her axe at the ready, but nobody showed up. At least until she opened the door to the main chambers and found one, lone man. He was sitting at a desk, looking down at a map. He wore a hooded cloak and scarf, and although she'd never seen him before, Heather recognised him immediately as somebody from the Ghost's network, if it wasn't the man himself.

When she saw him reach down, she tensed, and too late remembered what these people did when they got caught. She ran forward, but was unable to stop him from slitting his own throat with the dagger he took out. Determined not to let him escape without giving her at least some information, she grabbed his shirt and shook him.

"Who are you? You work for the Ghost, don't you?"

The man laughed, and blood squirted out of his mouth. She leaned away.

"You'll never get anything. You may have won this battle, but not the war." He was struggling to breathe. "We weren't fully prepared to deal with a dragon. He'll know."

No more words could come out of him as air left him in gasps and gurgles, and eventually he stopped moving. Heather let him go and decided to investigate the place. There seemed to be plenty of parchments in here; she could probably find something useful.

While she looked, it occurred to her that these men had been expecting a dragon, even if they were unable to neutralise the threat. There was no reason for a team of assassins to do that, unless...

 _Unless they were trying to get to Hiccup and Astrid._

Her search had just become a lot more urgent.

* * *

After a couple of hours of flying, Astrid's base came into view. As Cloudjumper approached the island, Valka tapped his shoulder to remind him to do the triple circle that meant they were friends. Astrid had explained the technique to her, to distinguish friendly riders from wild dragons or other threats, and Valka found it quite clever. Of course, considering no riders flew over her island normally, it wouldn't have occurred to her to use such a system.

When they landed, a few people came over to them, including a boy who approached Cloudjumper without fear. He seemed fascinated by the dragon.

"Excuse me, ma'am, what kind of dragon is this?" he asked.

"Cloudjumper is a Stormcutter", Valka replied evenly, getting off him. She'd never seen anybody take such an interest in her dragon, not even Astrid or Hiccup.

"I see. May I take him to the stables? We have fresh fish and water."

She considered this. She knew that he'd come under no harm here, and it had been a long trip. Her dragon could probably use the refreshments while she sorted out her business.

"Sure." She gestured with her staff towards the boy and Cloudjumper promptly followed him when he left.

"Valka?" somebody asked. She turned around to find a large man with black hair tied back and a tattoo on his chin. "My name's Eret Eretson. Hofferson told me to speak to you if she was absent."

"She's not here?"

"I'm afraid not. Follow me."

Valka walked with him into a tent, feeling a little miffed that the person she'd come to see was not here. But then again, Astrid was undoubtedly a cautious woman, and if she'd left this Eret to speak with her, he had to be reliable.

"You were on a mission to free some of your dragons, if Hofferson told me correctly."

"I did." Ah, right. She had to remember to call Astrid by her last name, if she didn't want to attract attention.

"Please tell me about the mission. Did anybody see you?" She explained what had happened to the man, leaving out the part where she'd freed the dragons from a second island. There was no reason for him to know that.

"I see", Eret said when she'd finished talking. "It would seem the mission was successful. According to Hofferson, you're now supposed to go after Deadly Nadder."

"Yes, but I have no idea where to start."

"Hofferson already put some people to work on that, and we have a few possible locations." He rummaged around some papers before handing one out to her.

Valka took it. It was a map of the archipelago, with some islands marked with a cross. On the edge, there were some notes about people she had to avoid.

"You can start wherever you want", Eret continued. "Hofferson considered sending somebody with you, but in the end decided that you alone would attract less attention."

"Yes, she told me." She rolled up the map. "Well, I'll be going then."

"Very well." He hesitated. "You know, it's almost lunchtime. Should you be hungry, the food will be served soon."

Valka was going to politely decline, when she realised that she was, in fact, hungry, and since Cloudjumper was eating in the stables, he would be less inclined to go fishing after they left.

Of course, eating with other people would mean interacting with them. She hadn't had a regular conversation with somebody in a while, but she'd have to hope it wouldn't show too much.

"Sure. Food sounds great."

* * *

Stoick sat down outside the Hall, trying not to let his impatience show. Since he'd arrived at Meathead island, hiding Skullcrusher beforehand for good measure, he'd been treated like a criminal. People on the street looked at him suspiciously, a few purposefully walked a circle around him to avoid him, and eventually someone told the people who were guarding the chiefs, and they came to look for him, clearly none too pleased about it. They'd told him to wait outside, and now here he was.

They wouldn't be happy with him, and they may even refuse to speak with him, but he had to try. For Hiccup's sake.

Eventually, the door was opened, and a stern-faced guard told him to go in. He did, and was greeted by the grim stares of the other chiefs sitting at the table. At the head was Holger, who seemed calm but Stoick could see the anger in his eyes.

"Stoick", he said coldly. "I thought we told you not to get involved with this."

"You did", the chief of Berk replied. "I went home."

"Did you now?"

"Let me speak, uninterrupted, please."

Holger frowned, but nodded.

"Thank you. Now, I went home, but since my dragon is from the Tracker class, I was confident he'd be able to find Hiccup, eventually." The other chiefs started speaking and he had to raise his voice. "Let me finish, please. Put yourselves in my place. If your son was accused of murder, wouldn't you want to find him immediately, whether or not you believed he did it? Even if it was to put him in prison to stop him from hurting any more people?" There was no answer. "That's what I did. Yes, I went against your request, and if you want to punish me, so be it, but we'll talk about that later. Anyway, after a lot of fruitless searching in the most vile places, I managed, through sheer luck, to find my son and Hofferson. I followed them around, wanting to see what they'd do. They travelled to Berk, where..."

Here, he took a deep breath before recounting the events as calmly as he could manage. Deep inside, he still felt the shock, and the dread that Hiccup was no longer Hiccup. Still, because of that, he understood he was doing the right thing. The other chiefs, especially Holger, were enraged as they heard what had transpired.

"So that's the moment you decided to come for us, I assume."

"Yes. I was convinced that my son was innocent... but now I see maybe I was wrong. And if that's the case, then he must be brought to justice. For that to happen, I have to work _with_ you, not behind your back." _And also, I have to protect my son from those who would harm him, especially you._

"I see."

There was a long pause, during which Holger watched him thoughtfully, still with a hint of suspicion. Eventually, he spoke again.

"We've been searching for your son high and low, without success. If he's with the Hofferson woman, I suppose it's not surprising, considering how she has evaded capture so far. What are you planning to do, if you join us?"

"Offer my dragon's services. He's faster than a ship and can track people."

"Yet it seems from your account that you needed more than that to find your son."

"Yes. I didn't say it was going to be easy."

"Very well then. You may help us in the search, and give us any suggestions that you may have. But let me make this very clear: if you lie to us, or try in any way to misguide us, then you'll be considered a criminal like your son and judged accordingly."

"So be it."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that you guys waited so long for a chapter that wasn't all that much, but A. I had tests and B. I was actually struggling a bit with how all the storylines were going to develop exactly. So this chapter sets up a couple of those.**


	32. Convergence

"… and in that situation, I'd put the pedal in the third position until we level up", Astrid finished.

"Very good." Hiccup smiled approvingly. "I think you learned the positions faster than I did."

She laughed. "I'm good at memorising things", she explained. "Besides, you came up with the idea for this thing in the first place. That's more than I could ever do."

"True. Anyway..." He looked outside at the sky. "I think you're ready."

Astrid couldn't help the slight feeling of trepidation that overcame her, even if she'd never admit it. It was one thing to know the theory by heart, and quite another to put it into practice, especially if she ran into strong winds or something. She was able to keep her cool in most situations, but this was very different from what she usually had to deal with.

"Now?" she asked.

"Now", he agreed, and started walking out. She followed him, and the dragons soon tagged along.

Hiccup had come up with the idea to teach her how to fly Toothless, seeing as they were going to be spending some time on the island. Astrid suspected that he was looking for ways to keep his mind busy, but it was useful, so she made no comment about it. For two days, he'd been teaching her about the different positions of the pedals and what each should be used for. He'd made her repeat them to him several times, and come up with various scenarios where she had to explain what she'd do and why. It had been a fun mental exercise, in a way.

But now it was going to get real.

They reached one of the cliffs in the island, and Hiccup gestured to her. She took a deep breath and climbed on Toothless' saddle, putting her feet on the pedals. She ran over the positions in her mind, ensuring she remembered what each one was for. Stormfly watched her and squawked curiously, probably wondering why she wasn't getting in _her_ saddle.

"It's okay, girl", she soothed her. "I'll go flying with you after this."

She and Hiccup looked at one another expectantly.

"Aren't you coming with?" she asked at last.

"Do you want me to?"

"Of course I do. What if, for any reason, I panic and make the wrong move?"

"Do you expect to panic?" He raised an eyebrow. "Because I don't. Not from what I know of you, anyway."

"True, but it'd still be safer." Maybe he was perfectly willing to climb on a dragon without fully understanding what he was doing, but she was more cautious than that.

He shrugged and got on Toothless. She couldn't help but recall the last time they'd sat like this. Although she'd only been half awake, she could perfectly remember the warmth of his body encasing hers. She could still feel it now, of course, but he was further away from her.

Anyway, that wasn't what she should be focusing on at all. The pedals. The position for takeoff. That was what she had to think about.

"Whenever you want", Hiccup spoke. Toothless warbled, most likely puzzled by the fact that Hiccup wasn't the one leading him.

Astrid patted the dragon's head. "Don't worry, Toothless", she assured him. "I've got you."

She put the pedal in the correct position. The moment she did, the Night Fury jumped off into the clouds. Apparently deciding she didn't want to be left behind, Stormfly joined them.

Astrid focused on Toothless' movements. Hiccup had told her that she needed to understand the dragon's intentions for the flying to be smooth. If she knew what Toothless was going to do before he actually did it, she could adjust the pedal accordingly and the transition would be seamless. So she waited for a sign that he'd climbed up high enough and was going to go horizontal. When she felt him twist, she immediately switched the gear's position.

"Nice job", Hiccup complemented.

They flew peacefully for a while, until Hiccup decided it was time for her to try more advanced manoeuvres. She was a bit intimidated by the idea, but she trusted that he'd take over if anything went wrong. For the next twenty minutes, they did all sorts of aerial acrobatics. It was just as exhilarating as with Stormfly, but also more terrifying, because she was the one controlling Toothless' ability to fly, and if she messed up, he wouldn't be able to compensate for it. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and after some loop-de-loops, Astrid decided it was enough for one day.

The landing was as smooth as the rest of the flying. Once Toothless stopped, she felt herself breathe completely. She hadn't realised how tense she'd been.

"Well, that was... interesting", she commented as she and Hiccup got off. She scratched Toothless' head.

"Interesting?"

"I'd never appreciated just how much effort you have to put into flying", she explained.

He grinned. "That's only because this is your first time. After a while of doing it, it becomes instinctual. I practically don't have to think when I'm riding Toothless."

She waved a hand. "I'll take your word for it. Right now, though, I believe I owe my own dragon a flight." She smiled up at Stormfly. "Don't I, girl?"

* * *

Heather made her best not to look at anyone while she sat in the waiting room. The Map Decipherer, as everyone called him, had a reputation of being the best at his job. While this was true, and thus he could help her, it also meant that every pirate in the archipelago who came across any map they couldn't immediately understand came to him. It seemed like everyone sitting here with her was a pirate, and the kind that would try to kill you if you so much as stared at them for too long. She wasn't afraid of fighting one of them, but if the others came to his aid, she'd be completely outnumbered. Besides, she'd rather not start any trouble; she was trying to be as discreet as possible.

Her search in the ship that had attacked her hadn't been especially fruitful; there were very few parchments around, written in some kind of code. However, a loose plank had attracted her attention, and there she'd found a map in a box. The map had a strange design, though, and she couldn't really understand what it was showing. That was when she had the idea to bring it to the Map Decipherer, and so here she was. If she could get a location on somebody related to these people, she might be able to get more information.

"Hey", a gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see one of the pirates staring at her. "You're going to get blood on the floor. He won't like that."

"Huh?" Then she noticed the man wasn't actually looking at her face, but further down her body. She followed his gaze to find one of the wounds she'd sustained during her captivity with the hunters, bleeding. While flying to this place on Windshear, she'd discovered it had reopened during her fight on the ship. She'd haphazardly bandaged it again, but obviously it hadn't worked very well.

"Oh", she commented. She began looking in her pouch for something that she could use to cover it, at least while she was waiting, but to her surprise the man extended a rag to her.

"Here."

"Thanks", she said. Thor knew where that rag had been before, but it'd be rude not to accept it. She gingerly lifted her tunic and placed the cloth over her wound. It'd have to do for the moment, she supposed.

Not long after, she was called in to the office. The Map Decipherer reminded her a bit of Hiccup, she thought: lean, scrawny, and he didn't look like he could hold his own in a fight, but obviously he'd found his own purpose. She handed him the map and it was quiet for several minutes while he studied it. After some time in which he consulted a few books, he spoke again.

"Okay", he said. "This is a map written by the Ghost."

Heather paled. "Are you sure?"

"Unless it's someone whose code is remarkably similar, yes. Anyway, I managed to pinpoint the location shown here. It's Meade Skull Island, and it appears they have some sort of weapon provider. This ship drawn here shows that he's by the docks."

"Thank you." She took the coins from her purse and paid him, trying not to run while she left. Once she was out of sight, she _did_ run towards Windshear, who was happily eating some fish she'd bought for her.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Goodbye, Alvin." Astrid hugged the man. Hiccup couldn't get over how strange it was to see a former enemy being so... _paternal_ , for lack of a better word, to someone.

Alvin patted Astrid's shoulder as he returned the hug. "Goodbye, lass. It was great seeing you. You need to drop by more often. Preferably in a less difficult situation."

"I know, I know", Astrid replied, as they separated. "I'll try. And thanks again for everything."

"No problem." Alvin turned to Hiccup. "And as for you... take care. The people who are after you aren't to be messed with."

"Thanks for that valuable information, Alvin", he replied sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed when they tried to kill me."

The man laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, have you? Anyway, hope you can make it through."

It was as sincere a sentiment as he was going to get, he supposed. "Thanks. I hope so too."

They left soon after. Only a few minutes of flying had passed when Astrid spoke.

"Hiccup, when we stop for a rest... do you think I could try flying Toothless again?"

He looked at her, surprised. After her (very successful, to be honest) first flight, they hadn't made another attempt. She'd always seemed to be busy doing other things, so he didn't ask. He was still amazed at how quickly she'd learnt everything. Sure, Fishlegs had flown Toothless once, but that had been one short, simple flight, and he didn't know the finer details. Astrid, by contrast, had shown to have almost a gift for it.

"Sure."

It was silent for a couple of minutes. Hiccup was thinking about how they were going back into the fray, so to speak. They'd be in the middle of potential enemies, always having to watch their backs for the Ghost. But Astrid believed that, at this stage, the assassin was the only one still looking for him, and he trusted her. Besides, if they managed to get some information from this blacksmith, it'd be worth it. They might be able to find him.

And then, hopefully, they'd put an end to this nightmare. Well, part of it, anyway.

* * *

"Well, we've been to some shady places before, but this one takes the cake", Hiccup commented as they walked along. Astrid had to agree; Meade Skull Island was a terrible place. Plenty of people wandered about, clearly drunk, and they'd passed a few fights. There was blood on the dirt here and there, and she'd even seen a body lying by the side of the road that she wasn't sure was still breathing.

"Maybe, but the Ghost is a shady one, so it makes sense. Plus, he's an assassin; it's logical for him to come somewhere people get killed willy-nilly."

She could tell that was probably what upset Hiccup the most; the fact that human life seemed to have so little value here. Even after everything he'd been through... then again, many of these murders probably happened for no reason.

They continued towards the shop by the docks, where Alvin had told her the blacksmith lived. At one point, she tripped and might've fallen had Hiccup not caught her shoulder.

"Thanks", she smiled.

"No problem. Watch your step, though."

She was pretty sure that her legs were quite tired, and that was why she'd tripped. She'd flown Toothless for a long time, after all, and even if she did manage to relax a bit, she was still tense, considering that the dragon's flying ability relied entirely on her. Maybe Hiccup was right, and with practice, she'd get used to it, but for now, she'd keep to her own dragon.

Finally, they reached their destination. Lightspear, as the blacksmith was called, was working on something, but stopped when he noticed them.

"Good morning", he said, and that already set Astrid off. He was _too_ nice, compared to the rest of this island's inhabitants. "What can I do for you?"

Astrid put on her best charming smile. "We're looking for some... ah... _special_ services."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Special, huh?"

"A light kind of metal", Hiccup spoke, "that can withstand any blow. We heard it comes from a dragon."

She hadn't given him a script to follow, so she felt a strange swell of pride when he played along splendidly.

"What you mean is Gronkle Iron", the blacksmith said, and Astrid remembered the name. Hiccup worked with that. "I don't have that at the moment."

"Don't you now?" Astrid asked. "What a pity. And I heard you were the _best_." She sighed in fake disappointment, and Lightspear stared at her for a few seconds.

"All right", he said at last. "Come this way."

They followed him into a back office, and Astrid discreetly gestured for Hiccup to lock the door. Once he did, she turned to the man and grabbed her axe from her back, cornering him against the wall.

"All right, Lightspear, games are over. Tell me about the Ghost."

The man gasped and began to sweat. "I... I don't-"

"You lie terribly. _Where is he_?"

"I don't know! I know one of his bases, but-"

"Show me."

The man nodded at a map on the table. "That's where it is."

"Hiccup." He understood and took it, reading it for a few moments. "Okay", he said, "I know where this is."

"Perfect. We'll be on our merry way then."

Leaving a terrified blacksmith behind, they walked down a path that lead towards some caves. Meade Skull Island didn't have any forests, so they had to find another hiding spot for their dragons. Thankfully Astrid remembered this place from when she'd been here once before. It was remote and pretty much unnoticeable, so it was perfect.

Once they entered, though, Astrid noticed something was wrong. The dragons seemed to be sleeping. Then a voice spoke, at the same time that men armed with bows appeared from behind some rocks, pointing at them.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

Astrid turned her head and saw another man approaching from the cave's entrance. He wore a hooded cloak, and in one hand carried what she recognised as Hiccup's prosthetic.

The Ghost himself.

* * *

Heather walked along the island, avoiding any contact with anybody. Meade Skull Island was a terrible place, even for a criminal. Only the lowest of the lowest lived here, and she'd had to leave Windshear hovering under the cliffs because she couldn't find any better place to hide her. She'd flown for almost a day now, and she was tired, but she would have to wait to rest. Heather's wound had also opened up again, and that would have to wait, too.

When she reached the docks, where the blacksmith lived, and he saw her, he immediately raised a sword.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Calm down, I'm not here to rob you."

The man scoffed. "Oh, of course. There are never any women on this island, and suddenly on the same day two appear? And I'm supposed to believe it's a coincidence that the first one came to get information, so the second one..."

"A woman came to get information?" she interrupted. What were the odds? She had to know. "Was she blonde and about my age?"

"Oh, like you don't know her and the lad she was with. Don't pretend-"

Heather jumped over the counter, took her double-bladed axe and put it at the man's throat. "You're right. I do know her. And you're going to tell me where she is." If Astrid was here today, she had to know where.

"Why would I know that? They got what they came for and left."

Heather thought for a moment. "Where could you hide something big and alive on this island? Say... a dragon?"

The man blanched. "Why-"

She pressed the blade harder against his throat. " _Where_?"

"I don't know!" He was frantic now. "There's the caves, I suppose, that's where everyone puts their treasures, but-"

"Where are these caves?"

He pointed at a bush next to a dock. "Behind that bush there's a narrow path that leads there. It won't be easy to-"

He didn't finish his sentence as Heather put the axe away and jumped over the counter again, running away.

"You'll pay for this!" he called after her. "You and your friend!"

The people around her looked between the two, but they were pirates and thieves; they weren't going to help someone who wasn't themselves. Which was just as well, because Heather was in a great hurry.

* * *

 **A/N: Dun dun dunn! Sorry this chapter took so long, I'm going to do my best to get the next one sooner, especially considering this ending ;)**

 **Also, just to clarify: the beginning with Astrid learning to fly Toothless and Heather's part happen more or less at the same time, and then when they're saying goodbye to Alvin, a week has passed. It's hard to make sense of the timeline sometimes :P**


	33. The Heather resort

Hiccup looked at the man who he'd thought he'd killed a while ago. It seemed like his angst over the topic had been for nothing, after all. Even so, that wasn't the most important thing right now. What mattered was that he had them trapped, both of them this time. There was nobody out there that could come to their rescue. And though he had no idea of what their dragons had been given, it was clearly powerful enough to knock them both out. He could only hope there wouldn't be any secondary effects.

Although that was probably the least of his concerns at the moment.

"Hiccup Haddock", the Ghost said. "You escaped me once, but you won't do so this time, I'm afraid. See, I learn from my mistakes, and clearly last time I didn't take your girlfriend here into account."

For a fraction of a second, he thought of protesting the idea that Astrid was his girlfriend, before realising how pointless it'd be. The blonde herself spoke up.

"What, didn't think I could take someone like you?" she asked mockingly.

"Oh, I've no doubt you're a fearsome warrior, Hofferson. You _are_ your father's daughter, after all. Too bad that it won't be enough today."

He made a gesture, and two of the men lowered their crossbows and approached them, tying both their hands behind their backs. Once they were immobilised, the other two came close as well and held Astrid back, while the first two pushed him towards the Ghost. The man studied his face for some seconds.

"I'm afraid I underestimated you as well that day", he said. "I didn't expect you to be able to hold me off for as long as you did. I still have your prosthetic, by the way. Not that you'll be needing it."

"Ghost, or whatever your name is", Astrid spoke again. "You don't have to do this. My resources are yours. Whatever Viggo's offering, I can double."

"Oh, no, see, this is about way more than gold, Hofferson." The man walked behind some rocks and brought a desk. Hiccup had a really, really bad feeling about this. He wished Toothless would wake up, but he didn't think it was happening any time soon.

The Ghost gestured, and the two men holding him dragged him towards the desk. He kicked one of them, but they were able to lay him down on it, one holding his legs and the other one his arms.

Oh, this was bad, this was _so_ bad. Hiccup tried to control his panic, but it was rising fast.

"You see", the Ghost spoke again, and this time he took out a knife from his belt as he walked towards the desk. Hiccup's stomach fell to his feet. "I'm not just killing some random target. I'm executing one of the most wanted criminals across the archipelago. This could earn me an even greater reputation than I already have. And for that, _how_ I do it is important."

The assassin run the knife along his torso, over his cheek and down again. The blade was barely touching him, but Hiccup felt as if it was already cutting him.

"I can't just stab him willy-nilly. I have to act with the precision of a hunter skinning a bear, tearing flesh from bone."

His blood ran cold. His death wouldn't be quick, then. The man would make him suffer.

From his position he couldn't see Astrid's face. He could, however, hear her desperate tone.

"No, please, stop." He heard some noises that he assumed belonged to her trying to get to him. He couldn't really distinguish much over the pounding of his heart.

"Well", the Ghost said with something akin to glee. "Let's start."

Hiccup wanted to close his eyes, but they were fixed on the knife that was about to start descending towards him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wondered if his life was going to flash before his eyes, like people said it did. He thought about his dad and regretted that the last time he'd seen him, when he pointed a sword at the chief, would be the last memory he had of him.

The knife didn't go down, however. Hiccup didn't hear anything, but all of a sudden, there was a spine protruding from the chest of the man that was holding his legs, and another one from the Ghost's shoulder, causing him to drop the knife in pain. The grip on Hiccup's arms loosened, so he could only assume the other man had been shot as well. He looked at the projectile. It was silver. Some kind of strange dagger, perhaps?

The man with a spine on his chest fell to the floor, but the Ghost ran for it. Hiccup sat up and surveyed the scene, because he hadn't seen what had happened.

Heather. Heather and a silvery dragon he'd never seen before, but who had probably shot those spines. At the moment, his brain was too addled to wonder what she was doing here.

The brunette was holding a crossbow and was pointing at the men holding Astrid, one of whom had a dagger against her throat. Heather seemed to be paying no attention to the assassin, though, who was getting away. Before he could attempt to get on his feet and go after him, however, the silver-coloured dragon lashed out with its tail and caught the man by the foot, leaving him hanging.

"Keep him there, Windshear", Heather spoke without turning her head. Huh. So this dragon was Heather's. "Now, I'm not going to say this twice." She now addressed the men. "If you don't let her go, this arrow goes between your eyes."

"And if you don't put that down, this dagger slits your friend's throat", the man holding the weapon sneered. "So I suggest-"

He was interrupted by a plasma blast. A low powered one that knocked both Astrid and her captors off their feet. Heather was stunned for a moment, before immediately shooting both men while they were on the floor. Hiccup turned his head to see Toothless, who looked extremely sleepy, but smiled at him and warbled.

"Hey, bud." He watched Astrid again, who was decidedly out of it. Toothless crooned sadly and approached her. Hiccup understood the dragon felt sorry about what he'd done.

"It's okay, bud. You did what you had to do. She'll understand."

"Yeah", Heather nodded. "Believe me, she's had it worse."

Toothless suddenly growled.

"What the-"

He didn't finish his sentence as the Night Fury shot at something behind them. Hiccup turned and saw that he'd blasted some part of the Ghost's body, most likely his hand, if the way he was holding it was any indication. He looked at the floor and saw a dagger. Only then did he remember what had happened the last time they'd encountered one of these guys.

"Well spotted, bud." He would've petted his head, had his hands not been tied up.

Noticing, Heather stood up and went to retrieve the dagger, taking the chance to smack the Ghost in the back of the head with the crossbow, making him go unconscious. As she returned, he noticed the dark stain spreading over her abdomen.

"Heather, are you bleeding?" he asked worriedly as she cut his ropes. He was only now realising that she'd shown up again after disappearing for quite a while. Thor knew what she'd been through.

"It's nothing", she said, but he could see she was struggling now.

"No, it's not. Let me." He took the dagger from her hands and untied Astrid. Then he shook her gently. He remembered being shot by a plasma blast, back when Toothless had got sick from eating an eel, and it hadn't been so hard to wake up. After a moment, she opened her eyes.

"Hiccup? Are you..." She turned her head. " _Heather?_ "

The woman in question, who'd had to sit on the floor, smiled weakly at her. "Hey, Astrid."

The blonde lunged and hugged her. Despite the circumstances, Hiccup smiled as he watched. This was the side of Astrid he liked the most, the one that he wished would be out all the time; the caring woman who'd been distressed over her lost friend.

The moment turned sour pretty quickly when Astrid noticed Heather's wound, though.

"Heather? What's that?"

"Oh, I should probably have that looked at..." She was visibly struggling to finish her sentences now. Astrid nodded firmly.

"We're leaving." She got up and went to Hiccup. "Are you okay?" she asked in a soft voice. He nodded and she sighed. "Thank Thor."

Toothless came up to her and warbled. Astrid noticed him and scratched his head, then seemed to realise something. "Wait, you're up? Did _you_ shoot me?" The dragon lowered his head and made a sad noise again. "Don't worry about it", she reassured him. "You're just lucky Stormfly didn't see. Speaking of which..." She looked over to where her dragon was, still sleeping peacefully.

"No, she hasn't woken up yet", Hiccup confirmed. "Maybe we need to get her out of the cave. Whatever they gave the dragons might still be in here."

"Yes, good idea. Heather needs help, fast."

* * *

They flew a short way to another island, where they got to a healer. (Astrid didn't trust whoever was the healer on Meade Skull, and to be honest, neither did he.) Heather was given something to prevent infection, along with fresh bandages, and the woman in charge sternly told Heather that she had to lie down and rest to let her wounds heal.

Something that she hadn't done, as she explained to them later, lying on a bed. Astrid had rented a room in an inn for all three of them. She'd sent a Terror from Stormfly, who had woken up pretty quickly once she was out of the cave, to somebody nearby, for reinforcements.

"We may have captured the Ghost himself, but his people are bound to still be out there", she'd said. "We can't go flying any more than absolutely necessary just yet, especially not with Heather's condition."

"I'm fine", the brunette had protested. She was barely holding on to Windshear (as she had told Hiccup the dragon was called).

"No, you're not. You need to rest." Thus, the inn room. The dragons were safely hidden in the forest, while Astrid had bribed the innkeeper to ignore the fact that she'd brought in an unconscious person, who was tied up in the corner of the room. Astrid had doused him with something to keep him sleeping.

So now here they were, waiting for Astrid's people to come, while Heather caught them up on what had happened to her. She'd been captured by the Hunters, and although she didn't go into details of what happened to her, her physical state made it abundantly obvious that it hadn't been pleasant. Hiccup found himself hating the Hunters even more. Not only did they imprison and hurt dragons, but people as well. They had no limits, and had to be stopped. Another reason to continue with their quest.

Astrid didn't say a word, but he could see how tense she was. It was clear that, if it was up to her, she'd kill every last one of them.

The thought didn't bother him as much as it should've.

The night was fairly uneventful. Hiccup and Astrid took turns sleeping, since there was only one bed to share with Heather and somebody had to keep an eye on both the Ghost and Heather's wound. At dawn, the innkeeper came up to see if they wanted breakfast.

"Please", Astrid said. She looked over her shoulder at Heather. "Do you have something lighter for a wounded person?"

"I can cook up some broth."

"That'll do. Two breakfasts and a broth, then."

"Coming right up." The innkeeper left, making no comment of the fact that their fourth party wasn't eating anything.

It was quiet as they ate, since they were all tired. Some time after breakfast, the woman showed up again.

"There's a gentleman asking for you. Says his name is Eret."

"Call him in."

She left, and soon after the man showed up. He was dressed differently than the last time Hiccup had seen him, but then again, he had been undercover at the time.

"Hofferson", he said. "You said you found..." he trailed off when he noticed Heather. "So it's true."

"Hey, Eret", Heather greeted.

"Glad to see you're okay."

"Relatively speaking", Astrid added.

Eret turned to Hiccup. "Haddock", he said. "You always seemed to be in the middle of trouble."

"It's a talent of mine", he deadpanned. Eret laughed.

"Just saying. And... is this the Ghost?"

"Yup", Astrid replied. "We're taking him back to the camp."

"So he's going to have a session with Lambert, I presume?"

"Precisely. Now let's go."

Eret had come with his dragon, Firestrike, and some kind of special saddle that apparently was made especially to carry injured people. He brought Heather to his dragon and secured her to it, while Windshear watched attentively. Their prisoner was once again tied up to the Razorwhip's tail (Hiccup had never heard of that type of dragon before). When they were all set, they left.

* * *

The flight, thankfully, was mostly uneventful. Astrid chose an alternate route; it'd take longer to get to her camp, but hopefully the assassins still out there wouldn't expect them. She couldn't wait to get home so that she could get a group to work on routing out every last person on the Ghost's network, so Hiccup would finally be safe. At one point, a ship attacked them, but thanks to Eret's added firepower, they were able to destroy enough of it to discourage their attackers. Normally, she'd go to the ship and take care of everyone, but with Heather so fragile, she'd rather not. (And Heather _was_ fragile right now, no matter how much she tried to deny it.) She'd just got her back; she wasn't going to risk losing her again.

When the moon had been in the sky for a while, she told the other riders to stop in an island she knew to be safe; Heather and the dragons needed to rest. While Hiccup and Eret dedicated themselves to preparing a fire and getting some food, Astrid made sure that Heather was fine.

"Does it hurt much?"

"Wow, now I see how annoying it is when I ask you that. No, I'm fine. You didn't have to stop for me. I'm tough."

Astrid smiled. "Even I couldn't get a wound like that and just keep going. Plus, I haven't seen you in ages, which just makes me even more concerned about you."

"I'm so lucky."

"Yeah, you are."

They sat in companionable silence. Astrid watched Hiccup as he threw some fish that Toothless had caught in a bag. Ever since they'd left Meade Skull, he hadn't talked a lot.

"You should make sure he's all right."

She turned her head to Heather. "Oh?"

"I mean, he was very nearly tortured and killed. I know he's no stranger to either, but..."

"You're right. My mind was on other things at that moment, like you, or Stormfly, or making sure the Ghost didn't escape."

"Well, he's been knocked out this whole time. So go on. Talk to him." She smiled. "I'll keep Eret busy."

"Oh, he'll love that."

Heather laughed. "Shut up."

Astrid got up and walked over to Hiccup.

"Hey", he said. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Umm, sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been awfully quiet this whole time."

"Have I?"

"Yes. And I doubt it's because Eret was with us."

He held her gaze for a few seconds. Finally, he sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it." He glanced over Astrid's shoulder, where Heather and Eret were discussing something, and she caught his hidden meaning.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Uh... maybe, I don't-"

She didn't give him time to finish his sentence as she grabbed his hand and walked away. Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that they seemed to be holding hands a lot recently, but she ignored it. Once the others were out of sight, she stopped, but didn't let go of him.

"Astrid, do we have to do this?"

"You nearly got murdered by a maniac. That's a perfectly good reason not to be okay."

"It's not like I haven't been in a dangerous situation before."

"Yes, but not like this."

He stared at her, then at the sky. "It's just... You know how you supposedly see your whole life flash before your eyes?"

"Yes." Was that what was bothering him?

"Well, I didn't see all of my life. I just saw the last time I was with my dad. His face when I... when I _threatened_ him. And I can't stop thinking that... if I die now, that'd be the last memory he'd have of me. And I'd hate that." He took a shuddering breath. "Also... yes, I've been in trouble before, but it was never so... _deliberate_. Usually, it's a wild dragon that's only attacking in self-defence. Not... someone who was going to cut me up..."

He shuddered again, and Astrid couldn't have stopped if she wanted to. She stepped forward and slid her arms around his frame, pressing against him, trying to offer what little comfort she could. Not only that, but reminding herself that he was here, and safe. Back at that cave, she'd been terrified that she was really going to lose him.

After a moment, he returned the hug.

"It's okay", she assured him in a gentle voice. "It's okay to feel like that. But we've caught him, and I swear that I'll do whatever I have to to keep you safe. I swear you'll be free, and you'll see your father again. And his last memory of you will be something pleasant. Something he can be proud of." She felt her throat tighten, thinking about her own father. She had no idea of what his last thoughts had been, but she hoped it had been something about her, and not his turbulent life.

"Thank you."

"Any time."


	34. You found me

Valka discreetly poured the last of her drink into a bucket at her feet when the woman tending to the tavern wasn't paying attention. Then she looked around at the people, sighing. Nobody new was coming in, and she'd already questioned anyone who seemed suspicious. It seemed like this would be another dead end.

This was the third island she visited already. The first visit hadn't gone too well; she'd been followed by some man who'd apparently decided she asked too many questions and gone after her. Thankfully, living with dragons, she'd grown used to distinguishing someone's footsteps in the wild, so she stopped him before he could do any harm, or find Cloudjumper. In the second island, she'd been much more careful, and though no attempts to attack her had been made, she hadn't discovered anything, either.

What she was doing was difficult in the extreme: she had to find somebody about whom she knew nothing more than a nickname and their appearance. She had a copy of Hiccup's drawing, for reference, but Astrid's people had impressed upon her the need to remain unnoticed, and she knew that showing that drawing would definitely get some unwanted attention. So she went around, asking seemingly inane questions, trying to figure out if someone knew a famous female assassin. So far, no luck.

Deciding there was nothing else to be done here, Valka got up and, putting some coins on the table, left. There were still a few more islands on her map; surely she'd find something somewhere else. As she was walking away, she noticed an old woman in the alley beside the tavern. She was clearly struggling to carry a bag that looked far too heavy for her. Valka may have been living among dragons for years, but she remembered basic decency. So she stepped closer.

"Do you need a hand?"

The old woman regarded her cautiously for a second, then seemingly decided to trust her.

"Yes, please."

The bag was just as heavy as it looked, but Valka didn't let it show. The other woman directed her towards a storage room in the back of the tavern. She deposited the bag with others and suppressed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Oh, stay for a second. At least let me give you something to say thanks. You look thirsty, maybe you'd like some tea."

Valka was going to say no, but the bitter taste of the drink she'd been given at the tavern was still on her tongue. It'd be great to wash it down. "All right", she agreed.

The woman stepped towards a cupboard and began pulling out things. While she did, the dragon rider looked around. There wasn't much besides bags on the floor and cupboards, which made sense considering this place was for storage. However, one thing caught her eye. On a wall, there were some drawings of people pinned. Men and women, around Hiccup's age.

And one of them was most certainly the woman she was looking for.

"Excuse me", she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could, "who are these?" She pointed at the pictures.

The elder woman looked at them and smiled. "Those are my 'grandchildren', as I call them. They're not mine, but... I've known them since they were children, so they might as well be."

"Oh." So this woman knew the assassin. Going by the fond look on her face, though, either she was an assassin as well and didn't care, or, most likely, she didn't know. That would help her; maybe she'd be more willing to reveal information. "What are their names?"

The other woman stepped closer and pointed at the drawings as she said their names. "Uffe, Sven, Tara... and Hildegard." She stopped when she pointed at the assassin, looking sad.

Hildegard. Her name was Hildegard.

"Is something the matter?" Valka asked as delicately as she could.

"It's nothing, it's just... I knew all of them as orphans. Practically raised them. But, while Tara, Sven and Uffe remained on the island... Hildegard did not. She wanted something more, so she left. I miss her."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She smiled and got about finishing the tea. Once it was done, she handed her a cup and took another for herself. "She visits every now and then... It's just not the same, you know?"

"I can imagine." It was silent for a few seconds. "So you have no idea where she is?"

The other woman smiled. "See, last time she was here, she left me a sort of riddle. Told me that, if I solved it, it pointed to her home. But I'm no good at riddles, I'm afraid."

"Was it difficult?" Pretending to be uninterested was proving to be harder and harder.

"Oh, I don't even remember all of it." Valka tried to hide her disappointment. "Something about 'where the Deadly Nadder once lay', it was along those lines. Hildegard always loved those dragons. Thought they were majestic."

Valka's mind was racing. As the dragon expert that she was, she knew where Deadly Nadder settlements were, and where they'd been. If the answer to the riddle was one of the latter, that left very few possibilities.

Still, they were large islands. She needed more information to have an exact location. Maybe one of her childhood friends knew.

"What about the other three? Did they know her?"

"Yes, they did. The four of them were thick as thieves. They drifted apart over the years, though. Pretty sad, if you ask me."

"Oh. Well, maybe one of them knows the riddle too? Perhaps they could help you solve it."

"I'm certain that Uffe knows it; he was the closest to her. Maybe he's even figured it out. But even so... I'm an old woman. She's told me before that she lives far away. I can't travel for long, not with my health."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, dear."

No more words were spoken as they both finished drinking.

"Well, thank you for the tea. I have to get going now."

"Thank _you_. Not many people are willing to listen to the ramblings of an old woman."

Valka thought back to the many times that she'd tried to convince Berkians to stop slaughtering dragons, without success. She hadn't been old, but the situation had definitely been the same.

"Yes, I know."

Once she stepped out, she walked towards another tavern. She had a man to find.

* * *

"So, after Glutton eats these, I have to mix his own puke with it?" Einar asked.

"Exactly", Hiccup confirmed. The boy grimaced.

"Sounds kind of disgusting."

"Yeah, it is. But it's the only way to get Gronkle Iron, so..."

"Yeah, I get it." He looked ahead, where the Gronkle in question was happily eating some rocks, and smiled fondly. "But I bet he won't mind."

Hiccup chuckled. "That he won't."

It was quiet for a few seconds as they both stared at the dragon. When Hiccup got back to the island, the boy had been all over himself with excitement over the new friend he'd found while out during a mission. Hiccup wondered how he'd got separated from his herd, but it didn't matter; the Gronkle was clearly happy with Einar. They'd spent a long time chatting about the dragon, since they were both obviously enthusiastic about the topic. Hiccup even gave him some pointers about how to care for Glutton, given that the boy had never actually cared for a Gronkle before, and looking after other people's dragons wasn't the same as looking after your own.

"Well", Einar said at last. "I should go give him a bath, I think. I haven't done so before, but if you say it's necessary..."

"Yeah, definitely. Trust me, a stinky dragon isn't pleasant. Hey, do you want a hand?"

"Sure, if you have the time. Hofferson and Heather usually bathe their dragons themselves, and Eret..."

"... doesn't really care, I imagine."

They brought Glutton to the stables and washed him. It was a messy task, because while the dragon wasn't opposed to a bath, he was quite playful and ran around, forcing them to chase him. By the time they were done, they were both covered in soapy water and mud.

"Hiccup?" Heather walked in and did a double take when she saw the state they were both in. "Uhh... what happened to you?"

"Oh, we were just giving Glutton a bath." Einar stepped out from behind the dragon.

Heather raised an eyebrow. "I give Windshear baths all the time, and I never end up like that."

"Sharp class dragons are much more concerned with their appearance, and thus more likely to stay still when you're washing them", Hiccup explained. "Gronkles... not so much."

"Oh. Well, Astrid called for you." She gave him a once over. "I'll tell her you have to wash up first."

While he cleaned himself in the springs nearby (thankfully Astrid had told him she always made sure to move somewhere they had such a place), he wondered what she wanted to talk about. Since they'd arrived yesterday, she'd spent all her time in her tent, speaking to various people, so she must have some kind of plan. The Ghost had been taken to a prison-like building, where he was constantly guarded. At one point, he'd seen a funny-looking man carrying a cart walk inside, and he hadn't come out yet, as far as he knew.

Once he was done bathing, he walked back to the camp, where he found Heather waiting for him. As they walked around, they were stopped by many people who were seemingly ecstatic that she was back. Some shook her hand, while others went so far as to hug her.

"You're pretty popular, huh?" he joked after they'd been stopped for the sixth time. She smiled.

"Eh, we all know each other around here. I was gone for a long time. They were worried about me, is all."

Hiccup thought about Outcast Island and what he'd seen of the Hunters. He didn't believe any of those people would be so concerned if one of their own went missing. Once again, Astrid was different from others in her business, and in this case, it had carried across to her employees.

His mind drifted to two nights ago in that island, when she'd hugged him. She definitely had a way of showing other people how much she cared. For a moment, he'd felt safe. He'd allowed himself to forget the feeling of nearly being gutted alive. And he supposed right now he _was_ safe, from that, at least.

They walked into Astrid's tent. The woman in question was shuffling some papers on her desk, and smiled up at him.

"Hey. Heard you were wrestling with Glutton."

"You could say that, yes."

"Heather, bring these to Eret, would you? And remember, no running. You're still in recovery." She handed her the parchments, and the brunette left. "Sorry I haven't talked to you much, but-"

"You were busy. I noticed. It's fine, Einar was super eager to tell me all about his dragon anyway."

Astrid chuckled. "I bet he was dying to do that. Anyway, we've made more progress than expected, now that we've captured the Ghost."

"Really? Has he said anything?"

She sighed. "Sadly, no. Lambert couldn't make him talk. But we do have some parchments we took from him that might give us information on where his other bases of operation are. And while he's... resilient, other people that work for him won't be. So I'm confident that we'll be able to dismantle his whole network." She waved a hand. "But that's not _your_ concern right now."

"How is an organisation trying to kill me _not_ my concern?"

"I've already set a team that will take care of that. Normally, I'd go with them, but _we_ have more important things to do. You see, I thought I recognised the Ghost's face from somewhere, but I've only just remembered exactly where. So I know we can use him to bargain."

"Bargain? Who would accept an assassin as payment?"

She smiled. "Someone who hates him personally, and not just because he's an assassin. Someone who I know also happens to possess information about many known criminals, including Viggo."

"Oh? And who is this someone?"

She shrugged. "I don't know his name, they call him the Broker. He runs some storage rooms for people like me, or Viggo. I know that for a fact."

"So why haven't you spoken to him before?"

She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't like me, for no other reason than because I'm a woman. He's old-fashioned like that. So I knew he wouldn't tell me anything. But now I have something, or rather someone, he'll be interested in."

"Why is that?"

"The Broker hates the Ghost because he once beat him in a Maces and Talons game. The Broker had been in a winning streak, he hadn't lost for twenty or so matches, and he stood to win a lot. So he was pretty mad when he lost to some rookie who didn't even show his face. Later, the Broker confronted him, alone, and the man revealed he'd cheated, then run away."

"Wait. If nobody saw his face, how do you know that it was the Ghost?"

She smiled. "Because I saw it happen."

"What?"

* * *

 _Like everyone else around the tavern, Astrid watched the game of Maces and Talons with baited breath. At eight, she didn't understand everything, but she did know the basic rules, and found it fascinating. Her dad had promised to teach her when she was older. He wasn't with her, off to do one of his jobs, so she was alone. Luckily, everyone was too engrossed in the game to pay attention to her._

 _At last, the hooded man defeated the other one's chief. His victory was received with shouts, some amazed, and some, who had obviously gambled against him, angry. But nobody was angrier than the man who had lost. For a moment, Astrid thought he was going to take a weapon and kill his rival right then and there. The hooded man, on the other hand, didn't show any emotions; he merely collected his winnings and left. After a couple of minutes, Astrid noticed the other man leaving, too, and decided to follow. The game was over, and some of the men were starting to give her leering glances._

 _She walked casually behind the man, until he took a turn into a side alley. Astrid waited until he was far from her before going in, too. Alleys were usually safer for her. She sat behind a box, wondering when her dad was coming back. Suddenly, a voice rang through the alley._

" _Couldn't handle the defeat, could you?"_

 _The voice was coming from the other side. Cautiously, she peeked out and noticed the hooded man walking towards the one he'd beat in the game._

" _Don't be so smug about it", was the answer. "You got lucky, that's it."_

" _Oh, I never get lucky." The man lowered his hood, and Astrid thought he had one of the ugliest faces she'd ever seen. There was a scar running across his chin and finishing on his lip, twisting his mouth into a frown. His eyes looked mismatched and strange._

" _If you're going to boast about your superior strategy, don't bother." The other man had his back turned to her, so she couldn't see his face, but he sounded like he was barely holding his anger in. Astrid had a lot of practice with recognising that particular tone._

 _She was only a little girl, after all, and sometimes you had to know when it was time to back away slowly._

" _Oh, I didn't plan to." The ugly man reached inside his tunic and produced something small, but tall._

 _A game piece. A hunter, if she was correct. She may not know much about the game, but she could tell from the man's smug tone that he'd done something that wasn't allowed._

" _You wouldn't dare."_

" _Eight hunters. Vikings aren't very good at counting, so what is one more? You were too focused on other things, anyway."_

 _The man lunged at the cheater, but he was nimbler and dodged him. He ran right past Astrid and into the crowd, where he was immediately lost. The first man let out a cry of frustration._

" _I'll get you one day, you bastard. I'm a patient man."_

* * *

"And... you remember that?" Hiccup asked, amazed.

Astrid smiled."I remember a lot of things. It's critical for my survival."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this took so long, but coming up with Valka's plot was hard. The good news is that it was the last thing I hadn't figured out, plus I don't have a lot of schoolwork left, so from now on chapters should be faster :)**

 **Also, in case you didn't catch that, the implication here is that the Ghost has a really ugly scar and that's why he always covers his face.**


	35. It's a hard life

**Since it's been requested that I put this: trigger warning for attempted rape of a minor.**

* * *

"So are we sure that it's safe for me to come with you?" Hiccup asked. He knew Astrid wouldn't have let him go if it hadn't been the case, but he was still nervous. He remembered all too clearly what had happened last time.

"Yes, I'm sure", Astrid answered. "The Ghost's organisation is bound to be in chaos right now, since we took away its leader." She glanced down, where the man in question was hanging limply from Stormfly's paws. "The other assassins won't be sure what to do. And any bounty hunters have long since moved on to other targets."

"Okay. Just checking."

"It's fine. I'm the one who's going to face the biggest struggle, not you."

"How so?"

"I've told you that the Broker underestimates women, but that's sugarcoating it, really. The few times I've spoken with him, he's been insufferably condescending and just insulting. I'll have to try really hard to be nice."

"Well, you do bring him a gift. That should help things."

They reached their destination not long after. Astrid told Hiccup to stay behind while she went to speak with the Broker. Although he understood that he had to make sure the Ghost didn't try to escape, it didn't help his nerves. Despite the fact that Toothless and Stormfly were right there with him, hiding behind some bushes, he jumped every time he thought he heard a twig snap or something move. At last, Astrid arrived, accompanied by a tall, lanky man with a strange moustache.

"Oh", he said, surprised. "That _is_ the Ghost. My lord will be pleased to see him. I suppose I can persuade him to make an appointment with you. Would you be so kind as to bring him to the office?"

"Sure", Astrid replied. "Hiccup, let's go."

Between the two of them, they carried the unconscious man. Clearly, this wasn't Meade Skull, since the man took care to guide them through a route where they passed mostly unseen. A knocked out person would attract attention on a busy road. After a few minutes, they reached a large building. Instead of going in through the front door, though, the man guided them to a side door, guarded by two men. They nodded at the one that was walking with them and stepped aside, letting them in to a small storage room.

"Leave him here. This is a well guarded location; he won't be able to escape. If you please, come now to the waiting room while I speak to my lord."

They took a seat among other people. Some of them looked like pirates, others seemed better but still shady, and others didn't appear to be caught up in any kind of wrong-doing. He also realised that, in tune with what Astrid had said, not one of them was female, and many were staring at the blonde with expressions that ranged from puzzlement to disgust to... things that he didn't want to think about.

"Not everyone here is a criminal", Astrid whispered to him, when she noticed his watching gaze. "The Broker runs many businesses, some legal, some not."

"But don't they know it?" he asked, confused. Surely, if you weren't doing anything wrong but knew the person you were working with was, you wouldn't work with that person.

Then again, he himself was a perfect example of how that wasn't always the case.

"Yes, and they prefer to ignore it. The man _is_ good at what he does, after all."

Some time later, the man (the Broker's assistant, it seemed) came out from the door to the main office.

"My lord will receive you right now", he said. His words were received with some complaints from the others, most of whom had been there before them. "Apologies, but my lord has some urgent business with these two."

The door was promptly shut behind them. The office they were in was probably big, but it seemed small due to all the cupboards lined up on the walls. A lone desk stood on the centre, a man sitting on the other side. He wore an unpleasant smile.

"Well, well, well", he said. "I never thought the day would come when I'd deal with Astrid Hofferson."

"Never say never", Astrid replied with a tight smile.

"I do have to ask, though. How did you know that I'd be interested in the Ghost?"

Her smile this time was a bit more relaxed. "That's none of your business."

"Woman's intuition?"

"If that's what you want to call it."

The Broker shook his head and smiled at Hiccup. "Women and their strange magic, huh?" Hiccup just forced a smile. "And who might you be?"

He glanced for a second at Astrid, who gave the tiniest of nods. "I'm Hiccup Haddock."

"Haddock? The same Haddock that's on the wanted list right now?"

"That'd be me."

"And how did you end up with Hofferson?"

"That's none of your business."

The man smirked. "Of course. I'd never be able to keep a woman, once I bed her, but I suppose other men are different."

From Astrid's expression, it looked like she was trying hard not to roll her eyes. She cleared her throat and luckily changed the subject, because he could feel himself blushing.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?"

The Broker cast him a knowing glance before nodding. "Sit down." They did. "So, I'm assuming you didn't bring me the Ghost as a thoughtful gift. What did you want?"

"Information about Viggo Grimborn."

The man smirked. "Straight to the point. That's one thing that sets you apart from all women, I suppose."

Hiccup noticed her fist clenching under the desk, where the other man couldn't see it. "So do you have it?"

"Do I have it? Obviously. I know a _lot_ of things about him. But you can't get all of them for one gift. You need to be more specific."

"Fine. I need something that's so important to his business, that the loss of it would completely destroy it."

The Broker arched his eyebrows. "Well, that's quite specific. And not so easy to come by."

"Do you have it or not?"

"Be patient, woman." The man got up and walked to one of the cupboards, from where he pulled a parchment out. "Let's see if anything in here looks like what you asked." He scanned the page, until he exclaimed, "Aha!"

"What is it?" Astrid's irritation didn't show in her voice, but Hiccup could see how tense she was. It was strange to see her be so affected by a situation, and he wondered if there was something else behind her attitude that he was missing.

"Well, I don't exactly know. But it's kept away in Dragon Nesting."

"One of the most secure storage places in the archipelago", Astrid explained to him. Before he could answer, the Broker did.

"He's a man. I'm sure he can figure that out by himself."

Astrid didn't say anything, but her whole demeanour changed. Her body seemingly relaxed, even her face. Although her blue eyes were apparently calm, he could still see the fire burning behind them, and understood she was just concealing her anger as best she could.

With a start, he realised that he knew her well enough to see behind the facade. Huh.

Not knowing what else to do, he reached for her hand under the table and squeezed it. A gentle reminder that even if this guy was an absolute asshole, he was here for her. She glanced over at him and although her face didn't move in the slightest, her eyes warmed up.

"Anyway", the Broker continued. "Viggo keeps something important in Dragon Nesting, and I think that, whatever it is, it might be what you're looking for."

"And I'm assuming you have access to it", Astrid responded. "The question is, are you going to make this easy or hard?"

"Meaning?"

"Are you going to give me the key, or do I have to try and secure the whole place myself?"

The Broker considered her for a long time. "Normally, I'd say you're on your own. However... you _did_ bring me a very unique gift. On the other hand, Viggo will be very cross with me if I just reveal his information. So how about a trade? I help you, and you help me later?"

"Well, if everything goes well, Viggo may not keep his power for much longer. So sure."

"Excellent! Now, we do need to arrange all the details. Five days from now should be enough for me to prepare everything. We'll meet at the Nesting."

"I have to make preparations as well. I have a man here. You can give him the details, and he'll contact me."

"I doubt he'll have time to get to where you are", the Broker said to Astrid like she was an idiot. Gods, this man was really pissing Hiccup off.

"Oh, _he_ won't be getting to where I am. Trust me. I have my ways." She winked. "Woman's ways."

Hiccup grinned at her smug face and the Broker's annoyance.

* * *

"I know you warned me", he said later, as they walked back to the dragons, "but... wow. I didn't know guys who think like that still existed."

"Oh, they do, and in my area of expertise, even more."

"Why do you let it affect you so much, though? I don't think I've ever seen anything get under your skin like that before."

She took a deep breath. "It's just... for the majority of my life, I encountered that same attitude everywhere I went. I got more than a little sick of it. I like to think I've put it behind me, but..."

"Oh." So not only did it remind her of her childhood, it probably made her feel as though all of her work had been for nothing. He supposed it made sense.

Suddenly, some child's screams broke the relative silence. They turned around and saw a little girl being dragged to a hut by a much older man.

"Leave me alone!" the girl pleaded. "Please!" The man just took her inside and shut the door.

Hiccup was going to ask Astrid if they should intervene, but he didn't get the chance; she was already running towards the hut, so he ran right behind her. They burst inside and looked around; there was seemingly nobody on the lower floor. Then another cry came from upstairs. They climbed up as quickly as they could.

The sight they met was one that would not vanish soon from Hiccup's mind; the little girl had been thrown on the bed, her shirt removed, skirt pushed up. The man had pushed his trousers down and was leaning over her. It was absolutely sickening.

Before he could even think to react, Astrid had already done so. In an instant, her axe was in her hand and she was standing right behind the man. She'd moved so quickly and silently that the bastard never knew what was coming for him. The axe raised and came down on the back of his head with a thud, opening a hole in the middle, spluttering blood on Astrid's hands. She quickly shoved him to the side and he fell on the floor unceremoniously, but Astrid wasn't paying attention. She was looking at the girl, who was alternatively glancing between the blonde and the dead man with terror written all over her face.

"It's okay", Astrid said then, in a gentle, cooing voice that he'd never heard her use. The kind of voice you would reserve for soothing spooked dragons. "He's not going to hurt you anymore. And I'm not going to hurt you." She kneeled at the foot of the bed. Hiccup was confused for a second, until he understood that, by lowering herself, Astrid was making herself look as non-threatening as possible. Probably the same reason why she hadn't retrieved her axe yet.

The girl just continued to stare at her, wide-eyed.

"Do you know where your mum is?" Astrid went on. "I can take you to her."

It was silent for a while. Astrid didn't move, so neither did Hiccup, not wanting to scare the girl. At last, she spoke, in a timid, quiet voice.

"My mum's dead."

"Oh. What about your dad?"

"I don't know. We were at the market, but then this man said he was a friend of my dad, and took me..." she trailed off and started to cry softly.

"Hey, it's fine. He's dead now. He can't do anything to you now. Can he?" The girl looked at her for a second before shaking her head hesitantly. "Exactly. So, you say your dad was at the market? Do you think maybe we can go find him?"

"I don't know", the girl answered in a scared voice. "There were a lot of people, and I lost dad, and I don't know!" She started crying again.

"Can I come closer?" Astrid asked gently. Hiccup was confused by her words, and so was the girl, apparently, because she gave her a questioning look. "I won't come any closer if you don't want me to", the older woman explained.

The girl nodded, just barely, and Astrid slowly walked around the bed. The girl watched her warily as she sat down next to her. The blonde pick up the girl's shirt and offered it to her. Ah, smart, Hiccup thought. The girl might be more willing to talk if she didn't feel so vulnerable. After a short moment of hesitation, she took it and put it on.

"Now", Astrid said, "I want you to think. Can you do that for me?" The girl nodded. "What's your name?"

"Kari", she answered.

"All right, Kari. Do you know where your house is?"

"Yes. But I think I'm lost."

"If we went to the market, do you know how to get to your house from there?"

"Yes, dad and I go along that path plenty of times." She teared up again. "But I don't know where the market is!"

"That's okay, Kari. I do. I can take you there."

Kari looked up at her in wonder. "You can?"

"Yes, I can. And from there we can go to your house. Your dad will be there eventually, right?"

The little girl nodded, and Astrid smiled.

"All right then." She got up from the bed and walked away a few steps. "Shall we go?"

Slowly, Kari got up from the bed, on the opposite side of where the dead man was lying. She walked towards Astrid, then stopped and stared at her for a second.

Hiccup was astonished when she suddenly wrapped herself around Astrid's legs and started sobbing, but he was even more surprised when she expertly picked up the girl and hugged her to her chest, murmuring reassurances.

"All right, we're going." She turned her head to him and gestured at her axe. He understood. She was afraid the axe might scare Kari. Hiccup walked over to the man and, trying not to look at him, retrieved the axe. They went downstairs, and he noticed Astrid was sort of rocking Kari in her arms.

While they walked along the town, Hiccup wondered where this maternal side of Astrid came from. Sure, he'd seen her care for her dragon and other people before, but this was completely different. She'd known exactly how to soothe the little girl and get her to trust her, almost as if...

 _Oh._

Of course. He'd forgotten about it, but Astrid had been in that situation before. No wonder she'd acted so fast. She probably knew exactly how the other girl felt. Plus, he also remembered how she'd told him that her father refused to harm children. It was probably part of those strange morals she'd been taught. Although in this case, they made perfect sense.

Even so, it was still strange to see someone like her running to the aid of an innocent girl. It was what any decent person would do, and it reminded him that there was a kind, gentle side to her. He idly wondered what she'd be like as a mother. He was sure that she'd be the first person to laugh at the notion, but he could still try to imagine it. After what he'd just seen, it didn't seem so crazy.

Suddenly, a man cried out. "Kari!"

The girl turned in Astrid's arms. "Daddy!" she exclaimed. The man ran towards them and all but ripped his daughter from the other woman.

"What were you-"

"Let me stop you right there: _I_ didn't do anything. In fact, I stopped someone from doing something to her."

"There was a big, scary man", Kari said. "He dragged me, and he... he took off my shirt, daddy, I told him not to, but-"

"It's okay, honey." The man's face transformed in an instant, understanding the situation immediately. Now his expression was one of horror. "It's over."

"Nothing happened", Astrid amended. "I made sure of it."

"Is he-"

"Yes."

The girl's father looked relieved. "Thank you", he said sincerely. He looked at Hiccup too. "Thank you."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Considering he hadn't really done anything, he wasn't sure he deserved those thanks.

The man looked back down at his daughter and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Let's go home, honey." He thanked them once more before walking away.

Once the man had left, they started their way back to the dragons.

"That was... impressive", he said, for lack of a better word.

"What?" Astrid smiled. "You've seen me in battle. I'm sure I've done more impressive things than that."

"You know what I mean."

"I told you, children are innocent, that's something my father taught me. I won't let any harm come to them."

"I know. I just... didn't expect you to be so..." He had a feeling she'd punch him if he said _maternal_. "Good with children."

"Nah, I'm not. I just... knew how she must be feeling, is all." Her voice had grown quiet by the end, and Hiccup knew what she was thinking about. So he was right, after all.

He'd already said everything there was to be said on that particular topic, so he kept quiet and instead took her hand. (He was doing that _a lot_ recently. Whatever. It didn't have to mean anything.)

* * *

Fulk watched the two people walking away, hand in hand. He'd seen them go in the Broker's house, but then he lost them when they got out. He hadn't been sure at the time, but now that he got a good look at them, they were definitely Hofferson and that Haddock kid.

As a middle-rank officer, Fulk knew that Viggo kept something important with the Broker, although he didn't know what. And if Hofferson had been in his house, she'd most likely been talking with him about that thing.

Viggo would want to know about this.


	36. Gathering storm

"So you're absolutely sure that this is the exact spot?" Valka asked.

"I'm confident", Uffe smiled. "I've studied this riddle for a long time. There's no other way to interpret it."

"And if you've already solved it", she continued, curious, "why haven't you gone back to visit her?"

Uffe sighed. "Do you know how far away this island is? My trade requires me to travel constantly, and I don't have the time to make such a long trip. Maybe one day, when I'm retired, I'll go. But for now, I can't afford to. I have to wait for _her_ to visit."

Valka nodded. That much was true. Finding Uffe had been slightly difficult on account of the fact that the man travelled a lot and never stayed for long in one place. Once she actually found him, she had been preparing herself to appear threatening (and be so if required). However, that had been unnecessary. When she was sitting a few tables away from him, she'd overheard a conversation between him and another man, that suggested to her Uffe was fond of riddles. It made sense, then, that Hildegard would leave one for him to solve.

With that knowledge in mind, Valka had approached him quite differently than what she'd originally planned. She'd made up a riddle and pretended to be trying to figure out what it meant, claiming that she'd heard he was excellent at them. Uffe had invited her to his hut, and the conversation had revolved around riddles for a while, until Valka brought up the matter that interested her.

"I remember hearing part of a riddle that went... ah... what is it? Something about 'where the Deadly Nadder once lay'", she'd said casually, and Uffe had stared at her, bewildered.

"How do _you_ know that?"

She'd off-handedly mentioned her encounter with the old woman, and soon enough was able to trick the man into showing her the answer to the riddle. He didn't even need much convincing; it seemed like he was eager to show someone how smart he had been to solve it. Well, she wasn't going to complain about it.

"Anyway", Valka said now, "it's time for me to go."

"Oh, that's too bad. I don't often get to talk about this with other people. Drop by some other time."

She smiled. "I'll try to."

As she walked away, towards the place where Cloudjumper was hiding, Valka thought about this Uffe man and the old woman, and wondered how Hildegard had ended up being an assassin when her role models growing up had clearly been honest people.

Then again, life took many unexpected turns.

* * *

Viggo was going over some plans when his brother, in a rather rude manner, barged in.

"Viggo!" he exclaimed, and the younger man sighed in annoyance.

"Brother, can't you announce your presence in a less... invasive way?"

Ryker rolled his eyes. "This is urgent."

"So urgent that you couldn't possibly take one second to call from outside the tent?"

Ryker didn't answer, but rather went on. "It's about Hofferson."

Viggo perked up instantly. His latest plan, getting assassins to go after the Haddock boy as an extra incentive for Hofferson to give up, hadn't worked that well. He'd counted on the Ghost to be a dangerous threat, but he was nowhere to be found lately. Rumour had it that Hofferson had captured him. He didn't know how much truth there was in that, yet one thing was certain: he wasn't going after the Haddock boy. And that was what really mattered to Viggo.

"What is it?"

Ryker poked his head out of tent for a second, and in came Fulk, one of his officials. Not too bright, but enough for him to have a more or less important position.

"Viggo, sir", the man said. "I saw Hofferson three days ago. I got here to tell you as fast as I could. I think she spoke to the Broker, sir."

"What?" One of the reasons why Viggo hadn't bothered putting extra security measures on the things protected by the Broker was that the man didn't deal with women. For him to even agree to speak to Hofferson was preposterous. And if it had actually happened... it was bad news. "Did you see them?" he asked urgently.

"No, sir. But I saw her going inside his house with a man, I think it was the Haddock boy, judging by the drawings I've seen. They were carrying someone who was unconscious."

"So you didn't actually see them talk", Viggo said. Still, the fact that they'd been carrying someone was an ill omen. The Broker was known to accept payment in the form of people, after all. "How can you be so sure?"

"They were inside for a long time, sir. When they got out, I lost them for a while, but I was lucky enough to find them again. I couldn't hope to get close enough to hear their conversation, I'm afraid."

Viggo took a deep breath. "Very well. You're excused, Fulk." The man bowed his head and left.

"Do you think they spoke?" Ryker asked. He sighed.

"It's more than likely. Hofferson knows the Broker's conditions. She wouldn't have gone to him unless she had some way to ensure his attention. And she wouldn't have left without getting what she wanted. I'm afraid there's every likelihood our... asset in Dragon Nesting has been compromised."

"So what do we do?"

"Ideally, we'd switch the asset's location, but sadly, I can't think of a more secure place for it. Plus, now that Hofferson knows of its existence, she'll keep looking for it. There's no choice; we'll have to destroy it."

"Destroy it? But... he's an impatient, unforgiving man. We don't know if we'll get another one."

"True, but we'll have to risk it. Better than it falling it into Hofferson's hands. However, not all is lost. Hofferson doesn't know that we know where she's going to go, so we have the upper hand. Admittedly, we don't know if we can get to Dragon Nesting before she does, but we'll have to try."

"What are we going to do, then? An ambush."

Viggo thought it over. He needed a way to gain the advantage over this woman, so that even if she got the asset, she'd still be lost. He needed to find another way to threaten the Haddock boy's life. One that worked better than the last one. But what could it be?

And then it struck him, when he remembered the last information he'd received on the main chiefs of the archipelago.

"An ambush, indeed. But not from us." He grinned. "Last I heard, the chiefs who are looking for Haddock are actually quite close to Dragon Nesting. If _they_ were to hear that their most wanted person will be there..."

"They can catch him, especially if he isn't prepared for them", Ryker finished in amazement. "Brilliant plan, brother. But does having the Haddock boy in captivity help us?"

"Of course it does. I have men in Meathead island, ready to kill him at a moment's notice, and Hofferson knows this. It'll be the perfect trap."

* * *

"I have no idea, Holger. We've searched everywhere. I don't know where else he could be."

"He has to be somewhere", the Meathead chief insisted. "He can't just disappear."

"What if he went far away?" someone else suggested. "To the south, perhaps."

"Could be." Holger turned to him. "What do _you_ think, Stoick?"

The Hooligan chief sighed. These meetings were always the same: they'd go to an island, look everywhere, be disappointed, then go to the nearest tavern and drink mead while discussing possible locations. Stoick could see that the other chiefs still didn't trust him, which was why he preferred to remain quiet unless he was asked a direct question. Like now.

"I don't know. He _has_ always liked exploring, but I'm not sure he would go so far away." Or at least, he hoped so. The _real_ reason he didn't think Hiccup was that far was because _Hofferson_ probably wouldn't go so far away from civilisation. She had her criminal empire; he doubted she'd give it up so easily. No, the truth of the matter was quite simple actually: the people they were after had dragons, and rather fast ones at that, so they could always remain one step ahead.

Stoick had Skullcrusher, of course, but the other chiefs never let him go off on his own, afraid he'd go find his son and... do something bad, he didn't know what. They _had_ let him use his dragon's tracking abilities a few times, but it had always brought them to dead ends. Sometimes, Stoick felt like he was on the verge of losing it, and just leaving to do his own search. But then he'd recall _why_ he had decided to join the chiefs, and the urge would fade away.

Remembering his son's face that fateful day kept him rooted to the ground.

The conversation went on, when suddenly Hoark, who had been out getting some provisions for them, ran in, panting.

"Holger! Holger!"

"What is it, man, what happened!"

"I heard someone talking about Haddock, sir."

Everyone perked up at that. "What was it?" Holger asked.

"I overheard two men at the dock, who apparently sold him some food a couple of days ago. They said that he was planning to go to Dragon's Nesting, in a few days' time."

"Dragon's Nesting? That's one of the most secure storing places in the archipelago. I thought they had requirements for their customers, though. I didn't know any common criminal could ask for space there."

"I don't know, sir. Perhaps he's retrieving something for somebody."

Holger turned to Stoick. "What do you think?"

Stoick had only heard of Dragon's Nesting once or twice, and he knew the same about it as all the other chiefs. There was no way Hiccup had something stored there. Hofferson, on the other hand... he probably was going there on a mission for her.

"I think it's worth checking. But we should move fast. Hiccup has a Night Fury, and we don't know how long we have."

"Right you are, Stoick. Very well, people. Let's get moving!"

As they all got up and rushed to get away, Stoick prayed that this would be the time they'd find his son, and get him to give up.

He wanted his Hiccup back.

* * *

Astrid was going over the parchments on her desk, making sure that every little detail in her plans was accounted for. Valka had arrived the night before, with the great news that she'd discovered Deadly Nadder's (or Hildegard's, apparently) exact location. She was glad that the elder woman had had the sense not to try to go after her all by herself.

She'd already been planning the heist in Dragon's Nesting, and now with Valka's arrival, another piece of the puzzle was fitting into its place. She was closer than ever to solving Hiccup's situation, she could feel it. It all hinged on whatever it was that they were going to retrieve, and its importance to Viggo's business.

After a couple of minutes, Heather walked in and informed her that everyone she'd asked for was here.

"Bring them all in", she told the brunette, who nodded and disappeared for a second before coming back. This time, she was followed by Hiccup, Valka, Eret and Einar, who looked confused to have been summoned.

"All right", she began. "You all know why you're here." Well, except Einar, but he wouldn't protest, she knew. He'd find out soon enough, anyway. "If we want to succeed, we have several tasks we need to do, all of them at the same time. First, we need to go get this...thing from Dragon's Nesting. Hiccup, you're coming with me." He nodded; he must've figured it out already. "Second, we need to get this Deadly Nadder woman. Valka, you're obviously going in that mission." The woman nodded. "However, I don't want you going alone. I know you have your dragon with you, but that assassin is dangerous, and I don't want to risk her escaping you. Which is why Eret here will go with you."

Valka looked at the man, who winked at her. She didn't look amused.

"Don't worry", Astrid reassured her. "He's a great operative. Even if he doesn't always look like it." Eret shot her a mockingly annoyed glance, but she ignored it.

During all of this, Einar had been looking more and more puzzled, until finally he spoke. "Hofferson, I'm sorry, but why did you call for _me_?"

Astrid smiled. "I wasn't done, Einar. _You_ are in charge of the last mission. Once this woman is captured, we need somewhere safe to keep her. She's the key to this whole situation."

"But why is that?" the boy asked without thinking, and then flinched. "Never mind. It's not my business. I apologise."

"It's fine", she waved it off. "Anyway, you are in charge of the safe place. Or rather, of _making_ it. I've selected a nearby island that is isolated enough. Valka here knows the location of a lot of dragons." The other woman had asked her not to reveal the existence of the sanctuary, and she'd agreed. It was too important a secret to tell others. "We need to get some of those dragons as extra protection. And that's where you come in. The dragons like you; you can get them to follow you."

Astrid watched the emotions run through his face: confusion, excitement at being chosen for an obviously important task, apprehension at the responsibility. To be honest, she didn't like the idea of giving him a first mission with so much to lose, but there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that there was no one more suited to do it than him.

"I'll do it to the best of my abilities, Hofferson."

"I expect nothing less of you, Einar. Valka will fill you in on the details of the dragons and where to find them." She saw everyone's faces full of determination, which was comforting. "Anyway, that was all I had to tell you. You can go back to your duties. I'll have people give you the exact information later."

Everyone walked out of the tent, except for Eret. Hiccup had appeared like he was going to stay behind, but seeing this, he left. Astrid raised her eyebrow at the man. "Yes, Eret?"

"May I ask you something, Hofferson?"

She tensed slightly. Eret had a bad habit of overstepping boundaries sometimes, and going too far into personal territory. He was extremely loyal at all times, which was why she kept him, but he forgot basic respect for the person who'd given him his job every now and then.

"What is it?" she asked.

"What's up with you and Haddock?"

 _Wow_ , Astrid thought. Straight to the point.

"I mean", he continued, "you're doing all of this, risking so much, all to help him. Why? What has he done for you? Does he have a lot of gold? Or does he have a huge-"

"Eret!" she said sharply, stopping him. "Remember what we've talked about so many times? About my personal life, and how it's _none of your damn business_?" It wasn't often she got mad at her employees, but Eret had gone way too far.

He seemed to realise it at her tone, because he immediately hung his head. "Apologies, Hofferson."

"Go help Einar get ready."

As he left, she wondered if she hadn't overreacted, and perhaps she had. But if it prevented him from asking such questions again, she wouldn't take it back. Maybe she was a bit too sensitive where Hiccup was concerned, admittedly.

She wasn't apologising for that.

* * *

Heather had never been exactly like most girls her age, what with her growing up with pirates and all. But sometimes, she felt the need to do something very teenage-girl-like, such as eavesdropping, which she'd just done. And she was glad for it. Eret's face when he left Astrid's tent was priceless.

"Made her mad, didn't you?" Heather smirked, and he groaned.

"She practically yelled at me. She never yells. I don't know why she got so upset."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you shouldn't pry?"

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" he smirked, then shook his head. "No, but seriously. She's extra uptight about anything concerning the Haddock boy." He gave her an accusing glance. "I bet _you_ know what the deal is, though."

Heather smiled. "I know less than you think." Sure, she knew Astrid's feelings for Hiccup, but she didn't know up to what point he reciprocated them. Nor did she know exactly what they did when they were alone.

"Still more than I do."

"True. Not telling you anyway."

"Not fair, Heather." Oh, he could be so dramatic.

"Life isn't fair, Eret." Then, just to mess with him, she blew him a kiss as she walked away, and delighted in the way his eyes widened.

Astrid was probably right when she said that she should do something about him. For the moment, though, there were more important things to do, namely helping the blonde with her own pressing problem. Once that was done, well... she'd see.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this took longer than I intended, but I had two finals and some personal problems that made studying difficult. All of which resulted in not having time to write. _But_ now I have only one more subject to study for, so I'll have more time and we'll be back to weekly updates.**

 **Anyway, things are lining up. Shit is coming, y'all. :P**


	37. The night comes down

Hiccup watched the preparations going on around him. Most people were sharpening daggers or other small weapons that were easily concealed. They'd be inside the building of Dragon's Nesting, ready to intervene should anything happen, and no weapons were allowed inside, apparently. A few would be waiting outside, and those would carry more visible weapons, but they were in the minority.

Dinner had just finished. He wanted to talk to Astrid, if only to soothe his nerves. They were on an island that was close to Dragon's Nesting; they'd stopped there for the night. Tomorrow at dawn, they'd be leaving, and Hiccup was worried about the mission, and what came after it. If they succeeded, they'd be much closer to freeing him of the charges against him. But if they did, what then?

Even if he hadn't actually killed anyone, he had still threatened his father, and Berk had seen it. There was no coming back from that. No lifting of those charges. How would everyone look at him? Gobber, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins... (Well, the twins wouldn't be too bothered. They might even think that it had been awesome.) He'd already been the village disappointment for far too many years, and he'd paid a high price to get away from that situation. He didn't want to go back to it. Hel, it may be even worse now. A few might be disappointed, after all, but he was sure most would be _scared_ of him. And he couldn't even imagine that.

Since he couldn't talk to Astrid, he instead went to Toothless and just ranted about his feelings to the dragon. Sadly, the Night Fury couldn't give him advice, but he listened and then coaxed his rider into playing with him. Hiccup smiled and complied, knowing that Toothless was trying to distract him and appreciating it. Eventually, he decided it was time to go to sleep, so he went to his tent and sat on his furs. His dragon, who had poked his head in through the opening, cooed at him.

"I'll be okay, bud."

Suddenly, a squawk rang out nearby. Toothless immediately got his head out of the tent, and Hiccup heard the telltale noises of Stormfly and the Night Fury greeting each other. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as Astrid came in.

"Hey", she said.

"Hey."

"Can't sleep?"

He wondered how she could see through him so well. "I haven't tried, but I expect that that will be the case, yes."

"Which is why I brought you this." He noticed she was carrying a mug with her, and smiled.

"Thanks."

She sat down next to him while he drank the tea.

"So, are you nervous?" she asked.

"Yes", he replied. "How could I not be?"

"It'll be fine, you know. This is a solid plan, and the Broker has no reason to betray me. I know that, whatever we find, it'll be important, and we'll be able to walk out with it."

"That's... not the only part that makes me nervous", he admitted. "I've been on the run for so long, I haven't allowed myself to think about what might happen if I get my name cleared. After what happened at Berk, well... I don't know what they'll think of me."

Astrid was silent for a while. "I don't really know what to answer to that", she said at last. "You know them better than me, after all. I will say this: worry about one problem at a time, Hiccup. First, we need to get this thing. We'll see where we go from there."

He sighed and nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

She took the mug. "I have to go. Sleep well." She smiled. "Or at least, try to. I promise everything will be all right."

She didn't get up immediately, though. Instead, she remained where she was, looking at him. She made as if to lean forward, then stopped. She closed her eyes for a second and reopened them. Before he could ask her what she was doing, she leaned forward again and pressed her lips against his forehead.

He froze for a moment, not knowing how to react. Astrid had never done such a thing before, and he'd rarely seen this kind of kiss in his life. It wasn't a display of affection typical of Vikings. But then his eyes closed and he accepted it for what it was meant to be: a comforting gesture, if a bit more... _intimate_ than what was the norm for them. (He wasn't sure that was the right word, but then again, what _was_ the norm for them? Theirs was a strange, unlabeled kind of relationship; the regular boundaries of friendship didn't apply to them.)

It was over quickly, and just as quickly Astrid got up and walked out of the tent, muttering a goodbye and leaving Hiccup staring after her.

* * *

The main hall of the storing building was large, but it seemed rather empty. A small desk, a door, and a few chairs. Most people were standing around, and Hiccup noticed that not one of them paid attention to the group that had just come in. Well, that worked in their favour, anyway. Astrid strolled to the desk, while he and the Broker followed her along. Hiccup didn't really trust the man, but apparently, he was one of the only ones who had authorisation to access Viggo's room. Besides, like Astrid had told him on the way here, she'd rather have him with them, where she could keep an eye on him.

The trip here had gone by without incident, and they'd met with the Broker where he'd told them he would be. He was only accompanied by two more men, one of whom would stay with Astrid's people outside, as a guarantee to her, and the other one had already gone in. Toothless and Stormfly had had to stay behind, to avoid attracting attention.

Now they were getting _very_ close to their objective, and Hiccup was trying not to let it show just how nervous he was. When they reached the desk, there was a man looking at some papers. He didn't even look up at them.

"Room?" he asked in a bored voice.

The Broker cleared his throat. "The Yak-Chops room, please."

The man raised his gaze then, staring at him for a few seconds.

"Excuse me?"

"Yak-Chops room. I'm Bok. These are my guests."

The other man nodded. "Right. Come with me then." He got up and, picking up a key, unlocked the small door and gestured for them to follow him inside.

Hiccup didn't really know what he was expecting, but he supposed it made sense; it was a long hallway, with a ton of doors to both sides. All of them had a small sign on them with a name, from "Gold and other gems" to "Fish reserve" (he thought he smelt it when they walked past). At last, they stopped before the "Yak-Chops" door. The man opened it.

"I'll wait here."

"Thank you", Astrid smiled at him, and he blinked. Hiccup hid his own smile at how noticeably the man was affected by the blonde's charm.

Once the door was closed, they looked around. There were a few chests and cupboards around, lots of papers and even some gold.

"Well", Astrid said, "where is it?"

"Be patient, woman. From what I know, it should be..." The Broker stood at the door, then walked forward a few paces before stopping and feeling the wooden floor with his foot. "Here." He knelt and, with some struggling, plied a plank loose. In it was a small chest. He produced a key and opened it. Inside was what looked like a map. Astrid stood next to him and bent over, staring at it. Hiccup saw her squint for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Is that what I think it is?"

The Broker seemed just as surprised as Astrid. Enough that he didn't make any kind of mocking comment. "Apparently."

Hiccup was growing impatient with all this mystery. "Well, what is it?"

Astrid's head snapped up, and she straightened. "I'll tell you later, when it is secure." She snatched the map and, folding it, slid it up her arm wrapper. "Right now, we need to leave."

* * *

Ryker ran inside Viggo's tent, panting.

"Viggo! Confirmation from the Experimenter. He received our request and set to prepare the bomb."

His brother smiled. "Excellent. That means that maybe Hofferson is already at Dragon's Nesting, and she's about to get quite the surprise. Perhaps she already has."

"Is this Experimenter really that effective?"

"Of course he is. It's his job, after all. I'm confident he'll be able to blow the facility up with ease."

"And if Hofferson or Haddock are caught in the explosion, what then?"

"If it's Hofferson, her organisation will be in shambles, a situation that we can take advantage of to retrieve the Dragon Eye. If it's Haddock...well, I will lose some of my leverage, which will be a pity. However, Hofferson will be emotionally distraught. We can take advantage of that, too."

"So whatever happens, we win." Ryker was grinning, and Viggo grinned back.

"Quite so, dear brother."

* * *

The Experimenter watched his bomb with pride. This was one of his finest inventions. He supposed he had to thank dragons for it; after all, it worked by lighting up Zippleback gas, among others. The gases were stored inside a bag that was safely closed to prevent them from escaping. There was a small piece of rope, impregnated in oil, that reached the inside of the bag. Once he set the rope on fire, he had about a minute before it exploded. The Zippleback gas ignited it, while the other gases made the explosion bigger. The whole thing was small enough that it could be mounted on an arrow and thrown at will.

Viggo's letter had been surprising, but he'd offered a handsome amount of money, and so the Experimenter got to work as soon as he could. His target was one of Viggo's own rooms. Why the man would want to destroy what he'd stored, he had no idea, and he wouldn't ask, either.

He readied the arrow. From his spot at the top of a tree, he could see the Dragon's Nesting building perfectly. Keeping in mind where exactly he had to shoot, he aligned the arrowhead properly. Before he could let it loose, though, a dragon suddenly landed near the building.

The Experimenter was shocked for a few seconds. The dragon was huge, and there were three men riding it, which was surprising. What was going on?

He shook his head. This wasn't what he was paid to do, and whoever was nearby shouldn't concern him. He made sure his aim was still accurate.

Then he let the arrow fly.

* * *

Stoick looked around the island as Holger, Hoark and himself got off Skullcrusher. He still couldn't believe that the Meathead chief had actually agreed to use the dragon for its speed to get to Dragon's Nesting before Hiccup did. Maybe he had finally realised that Stoick wasn't trying to run off and help Hiccup escape. Skullcrusher, admittedly, hadn't enjoyed carrying three large-sized men very much, and looked pretty tired. Well, Stoick figured, he could always give him extra rations of fish later to make it up to him.

The island had a huge building, the place of storage, and not much else. A couple of huts, a dock, and that was it. The arrival of his Rumblehorn caused some alarm among the people, but Holger quickly assured them that he wouldn't hurt them.

"Well", the man said to them, "time to see if your boy is in there, Stoick."

However, they hadn't walked more than a few paces when a huge explosion in the building threw them off their feet.

* * *

Hiccup blinked hard as the world slowly came back into focus. What had happened? He remembered walking down the hallway with Astrid and the Broker, then... blackness.

He looked around and was astonished to discover entire pieces of the wall and ceiling had crumbled down. The air was grey and smoky, and there was a certain smell that felt slightly familiar, but not enough to identify it. Farther away from him was the main room, and the people there were all on the floor.

Suddenly, he realised what the smell was. Zippleback gas.

This place had been bombed.

He looked around in panic. Where was Astrid? She'd been right next to him, but she was nowhere to be seen now. The Broker was lying a few paces behind him. He couldn't tell if the man was breathing or not, and right now he didn't really care. He had to find Astrid.

He took a closer look at his surroundings. If the Broker was near, then Astrid couldn't have flown far off, either. After some examination of the debris, he finally saw her underneath a large piece of wood that had fallen off.

He clumsily made his way to her and pulled the wood off her, then began shaking her.

"Astrid", he said. "Astrid!"

She didn't react in any way. Before panic invaded him even more, he looked at her chest and was relieved to see it going up and down, although not much. Still alive, then. She might be badly injured, though; he needed to get her out of here.

Before he could do that, however, he heard a familiar booming voice.

"Hiccup!"

He didn't have time to feel happy or nervous when another voice sounded.

"Hiccup Haddock, if you're in here, surrender! We're here to arrest you for the murder of my son, Erik."

Crap, his dad was not alone, then. What was more, the smoke was clearing, and now he could see the three large men, two of whom were Stoick and Holger. They were coming closer, and although they hadn't seen him yet, they were looking his way and would notice him in a matter of seconds.

He looked down at Astrid, at her soot-covered face, and made a decision. He pulled the wood back over her, hiding her from view.

Then he got up and tried to worm his way out by hiding among the debris, knowing it most likely wouldn't work. His suspicions were proven correct when, moments later, Holger ran towards him, sword in hand.

Hiccup ducked under the man's hands and elbowed the third chief (Hoark, was it?) in the gut, trying to get away from him. Before he could run, though, Holger grabbed his arms. Hiccup started to struggle, until he heard his father's voice.

"Son." He looked up to see Stoick's face, and there was nothing but sorrow there. It felt like a punch to the gut.

"Please, give up. Stop running. It's over." He stepped closer. "Let me help you."

Hiccup looked at his eyes, and saw something other than the sadness. Hope. Hope that Hiccup would... come back to him.

And it broke him. He couldn't keep hurting his father. He'd already done it at Berk. He didn't want to repeat that experience.

He remembered, back when all this had first started, that Astrid had warned him that Viggo probably had men at Meathead, ready to kill him.

He thought of the map they'd just found. Whatever it was, it clearly had been important, if Astrid's reaction was anything to go by.

 _Well, Astrid_ , he thought, _I hope you can make your plan work quickly._

He hung his head and sighed.

"Very well."

A second later, Holger had slapped cuffs over his wrists.

"Hiccup Haddock, you're accused of the murder of Erik, heir to the Meathead tribe. You will come with us and be judged at our island", he said pompously.

 _Well,_ that's _going to turn out fantastic_ , Hiccup thought sarcastically as he was dragged off.

* * *

Heather searched frantically among the debris for Astrid. She was glad that Toothless and Stormfly had been given dragon root; otherwise, they would've run straight into the explosion to help their riders, giving away their presence. As it was, she'd had to calm Windshear down.

When she had run here from the hiding spot in the forest, she'd been able to see three men, one of whom she thought was Hiccup's father, tying him to a dragon and flying away. She couldn't follow them; retrieving somebody from a dragon on the air could be dangerous, and in any case she knew where he was being taken, and that was Meathead. So she did what would be useful, which was finding Astrid.

At last she saw her under a piece of wood. She pulled it off and shook the other woman until she woke up, coughing.

"What, what..." she looked around, her confused expression clearing. "Where's Hiccup?"

Heather sighed. "I'm sorry, Astrid. He was taken."

* * *

 **A/N: *tells Liam Neeson to go back home because he wasn't being summoned***

 **MWAHAHAHA! I've been planning this for so long, guys. Like, this was one of the first scenes I knew I would write when I started planning this fic. Anyway, things are looking complicated, aren't they?**


	38. When you're gone

Astrid was woken up by someone who was insistently shaking her. The moment she regained her consciousness, she became aware of an unbearable itch in her throat, making it almost impossible to breathe. She coughed violently as she opened her eyes and was greeted by Heather's worried face. What was going on?

"What, what..." she looked around as she struggled to breathe, and it came back to her. She was at Dragon's Nesting, and they were retrieving something important from Viggo. 'They' being...

 _Wait_.

"Where's Hiccup?"

Heather sighed and her expression turned sorrowful, which alarmed her. "I'm sorry, Astrid. He was taken."

For a moment, it seemed like the brunette's words didn't make any sense. Then they did, and she wished she hadn't understood.

She wished she didn't know that her greatest fear right now had come true.

"Who...?" she didn't have to finish her sentence; Heather guessed what she wanted to ask.

"His father, from what I saw."

In the middle of her stupor, confusion also made its way into her mind. How had Stoick known to be here? The only one who had heard of their plans was... the Broker. Had he betrayed her?

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Who?"

"The Broker."

Heather gestured with her head, and Astrid slowly sat up until she was able to look around her. The place was crumbling down. There had obviously been some kind of attack here, and it was probably the reason she'd been unconscious.

"Was there an explosion?" she wondered. It looked like it. It must've hit Hiccup, too, but he had to be all right. Heather wouldn't be so calm otherwise.

"Yes", the other woman confirmed. "No idea what or who caused it, though."

Astrid stared at the Broker, lying down near her. It seemed that he had been unlucky enough to hit his head against a corner when he went flying. Blood was pooling underneath him, and he was completely still. If it had been him who'd betrayed her, she might never know.

"Astrid." She looked at Heather. "Did you get it? Whatever Viggo was hiding?"

Right. The important thing. She'd forgotten it with the news she'd received, but now she remembered. She checked her arm wrapping, and luckily the parchment was still there and seemed undamaged.

"We did." Before she could start describing it, though, another coughing fit left her gasping for air. Heather reached for a waterskin from her pouch and gave it to her.

After she'd drunk the water, she felt slightly better. She was lucid enough to understand that she needed to come up with a plan to help Hiccup. What that plan was, however, eluded her.

"Astrid, let's go back to our hiding place."

"Our hiding place." She recalled there were more of her people out there. And Stormfly! Oh, and Toothless. How was she going to break it to the Night Fury that his beloved rider was gone? "Yes, let's go. We need to-"

" _You_ need to rest", Heather interrupted. "After that, you can do all you want. But you were just in the middle of an explosion. Your head needs recovery."

Astrid wanted to protest, but Heather's comment brought a sudden wave of exhaustion to the forefront of her mind. She found herself agreeing with the other woman. Somewhere inside her she realised just how out of character that was for her. At the moment she couldn't get herself to care. She let herself be taken with her people and then put on some furs to sleep.

When she woke up, she felt much better. Her mind was clearer, although that itch in her throat was still there. She looked around and found that she was in a tent, and a mug of water was right next to her. While she drank, she thought about the situation. More rationally, this time. She had to help Hiccup, and for that she needed a plan.

The map. The first thing she needed was the map. She retrieved it and stared at it. She could use this to threaten Viggo's business and get him to tell the assassin to confess. She had to...

 _The assassin!_ That was another part of her plan, and as far as she knew, it hadn't gone wrong. With the assassin and the map, she could get Hiccup free. That part of the plan was still on the table; she'd just have to do it quicker, before anyone could get to Hiccup while he was in Meathead (she assumed that was where his father had taken him). Which meant she needed to get some protection for him, soon.

At that moment, Heather walked in.

"Astrid, you're awake already? It's only been-"

"Did you say Hiccup was taken by Stoick?" she interrupted. There was no time for lectures on her health; she had more urgent things to do.

"Yes, him and two other men. They got on Stoick's dragon and flew off."

"Two other men?"

"Yeah, just as large as Stoick. I think they might be other chiefs."

"Probably." If Stoick was with the other chiefs, then they were definitely bringing him to Meathead. However... "You say they were flying? Are you sure?"

"Yes, although now that you mention it, it did seem like the other two were reluctant to get on."

"That's perfect", Astrid reflected.

"How so?"

"The chiefs probably don't trust dragons, which means they'll bring Hiccup to Meathead on a ship. And that gives us enough time to get protection for him once he gets there."

"Last I heard, Sven was still in Meathead", Heather offered.

"Sven?" That was perfect, she thought. Sven was from Berk; Stoick would trust him with the protection of his son... but, she realised, if he explained the situation and revealed his true alliance, the chief would most certainly stop trusting him. "We can use him for the protection of Hiccup's cell", she decided, "but we need someone else to tell Stoick what's going on so he can be prepared."

"I can go. Stoick knows me."

Astrid thought it over. "Very well", she agreed. Then she went back to looking at the map. "Now, how do I use this..." As she considered it, an idea formed in her mind.

* * *

Valka watched Hildegard as she kneeled on the ground, picking onions from the land and putting them on a cart she had next to her. The answer that Uffe had given her to the riddle had proven correct, and they'd found an empty cave with a bed, a desk, and some kitchen utensils. After a short search, they'd discovered a small pond and an orchard nearby. Valka supposed that, since she was hiding, the woman preferred to get food by her own means, without interacting with anyone. As it was, there _was_ a small village on the other side of the island, but if you came from there, it was hard to access this place on foot, making it perfect for hiding. Valka and Eret, however, had no difficulties getting here, being on their dragons.

She still wasn't sure what to make of the man. He was too cocky and self-confident for her liking, but it was clear he took his job seriously and had just as much respect for Astrid as the other employees she'd met. More importantly, he cared about Firestrike.

In any case, he wasn't here for her to judge his character, but to help her.

"So, how should we do it?" she whispered. She and Eret were hiding behind some bushes, their dragons further behind between the trees.

"I say we go old-school and simple. You go around, from that side, while I go in from this side. We catch her by surprise, and boom. Done."

Of course, things were never easy. As she was creeping around the clearing, as quietly as she could, to get to the other side, she stepped on a branch that she didn't see. The sudden snapping noise alerted Hildegard to the fact that she wasn't alone anymore. She looked around, spotted her and then immediately darted towards the forest.

"Cloudjumper!" she shouted while Eret also burst forward. "Catch her!"

Although she joined the man in his pursuit, the woman was not only faster, but knew the terrain better, and so found the easier path to evade them. Worse, her Stormcutter was flying over the forest and couldn't see well.

Fortunately, this meant that Hildegard didn't see him, either. When she ran past a clearing, her dragon swooped in and effortlessly caught her in his claws. The woman kicked and screamed, but she couldn't break free.

Valka and Eret approached her, and she stopped thrashing to look at them.

"Who are you?" she asked defiantly. If she was scared, Valka thought, she hid it well.

"Nobody important", she answered. "What's important is who _you_ are. And you are the key to Hiccup Haddock's freedom."

* * *

Hiccup wondered if the chiefs were planning to pay any kind of attention to him. After Stoick, Holger and Hoark got him on Skullcrusher, the exhaustion he'd felt from the explosion had caught up with him, and he'd dozed off. However, it seemed to him that the trip hadn't been very long before they stopped at a ship with the other chiefs. They'd put him in a cell on the lower, indoor portion of the ship and left him there. He'd gone right back to sleep then, and his night's rest went by without anyone waking him.

In the moment, he'd thought they were just being kind, and they'd come to question him soon afterwards. But when, after hours, one of them came down, left him a plate and then went away without saying a word, he realised that the situation was quite different. Were they waiting until Meathead? And why hadn't his father come? Hiccup was sure that Stoick must be dying to talk to him. Then again, maybe the other chiefs didn't trust him not to... do something to help him escape. Honestly, that would be kind of dumb, considering that escaping a ship would be impossible. Unless he took Skullcrusher or something.

In any case, he had hours to sit around doing nothing, so he thought about everything. He wondered what the map that he and Astrid had retrieved was. A secret deposit where Viggo kept all his gold? The home of someone who supplied him with dragons? There were many possibilities.

He also thought about Astrid. Had she already come up with a plan? She was good at that.

He couldn't help but relieve the night before they travelled to Dragon's Nesting. At the moment he hadn't pondered it much, since he was preoccupied with other things. But now that he could think about it, he didn't know how to feel.

A part of him, the one that always reminded him of everything she'd done, warned him that he really shouldn't get too comfortable with her. That, underneath it all, she was still someone who had killed plenty of people in cold blood and would continue to do so. Dangerous, if not heartless. That he, who had always tried to stand by what was right, and protect everyone, should never be able to forgive her for something like that.

And yet... Hiccup had seen in his own people that changing some minds was possible. Astrid may be a criminal, but she clearly had the ability to feel compassion and empathy. To care for others, even those she didn't know, and to protect the innocent. The more he got to know her, the more he saw that part of her personality, and he was convinced that she was perfectly capable of being... well... good. The way she'd comforted him last night just proved it.

Not only that, but, having walked a mile in her shoes... could he really blame her for her behaviour? In the past weeks, after all, he'd done a lot of things that he'd never thought himself capable of doing before. Deceiving people, killing (well, the Ghost hadn't died, but that wasn't the point) someone very deliberately, threatening others (including his own father)... Sure, he'd felt some regret, but ultimately he had still done it. And in a way, he'd sort of made his peace with it (some of it). He'd accepted it. The Hiccup from before knowing Astrid would have condemned him.

So, if only a few weeks of this darkness had already had this effect on him... what kind of effect had it had on _her_ ¸who had lived her whole life with it, as far as he knew? Maybe she didn't consider not being a criminal, simply because she had always been this way.

However, he wanted to show her that that was nonsense. There was no reason for her not to change her ways, if she so wished. And if getting closer to her was the way to do that, then he'd do it. Because underneath her cover lay a person to whom he would gladly get as close as possible.

All those conflicting thoughts kept him occupied in the mind-numbing boredom of his cell. Eventually, though, he heard someone's footsteps coming. He didn't know if he was happy to see his father's face, or if he dreaded it. Probably a bit of both, to be honest.

"Hiccup", Stoick said. His face was weary, but there was less sorrow now. More of the hope he'd seen last time. And just like last time, it crushed him.

"Hello, Dad", he answered, somewhat cautiously. He didn't know what his father wanted, or how he was going to act.

He opened and closed his mouth several times, obviously trying to come up with something to say. At last, "Is... is Hofferson going to come? To break you out?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Why? Did she decide you weren't worth her time anymore?" There was clear distaste in his voice as he said so. Hiccup sighed; Stoick would never be as accepting of Astrid as himself. Still, he felt the need to at least explain her –their- side.

"No, because she's going to help me in other ways."

"Such as?" The chief's eyebrows raised in disbelief. Hiccup didn't want anyone overhearing their plans, so he stood up and went to the bars. Stoick seemed just the slightest bit scared by this move, and Hiccup felt it like a punch to his gut. Again.

"She's going to find the person responsible for this", he whispered, and saw his father's expression go from confusion to relief. It took him a second to understand why, but when he did, he felt much worse.

"Dad, did you really think I'd done it?" Granted, he _had_ changed a bit since meeting Astrid, but not that much. Not enough to kill someone who hadn't done anything to him with no second thoughts. That his own father would think so...

"No, I was mostly convinced you were innocent."

"Mostly?"

"Well, maybe you had suddenly gone insane, son. I didn't know."

"Dad, I know you think Astrid is a bad influence, but it would never get that far. I wouldn't let it." _I hope_.

"I know, I know. I just..." he trailed off. "So who _is_ responsible for this?"

Clearly, he wanted to change the topic. Hiccup decided to let him. "An assassin, but she's not so important. I mean, she is, because she's the one we have to make confess. But the one who's responsible for hiring her is out to get me. And he's the one we need to persuade."

"Persuade?"

Hiccup didn't want to give too many details, in case one of the other chiefs was eavesdropping. "He's a businessman, and Astrid thinks if we can find a way to threaten his business, we can make him tell the assassin to confess. Since she's under contract, she will."

"And who is this businessman? Why is he after you?" Stoick was frowning now, and Hiccup understood that he wanted more details, but it would have to wait.

"Not now, Dad. Someone might be listening."

The man's expression showed his internal debate; at last, he sighed and nodded. "Very well, son. But you'll have to tell me."

"I will."

"So, does Hofferson think she can do something?"

"Yes. Like I said, we're working on it. Well, _I'm_ out of commission now, but she's still out there."

"And you think she can get this man to break? Before your trial?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Well, that's what I'm hoping." He really wanted to tell him that they'd found something important, to reassure the man and ease his palpable concern. But he remembered all too clearly Astrid's warning about Viggo having men close to the chiefs. He couldn't let something like _that_ escape.

Before Stoick could say anything else, Hoark came up to them.

"Sorry, Stoick, but Holger says that's enough for today."

"Very well." He looked at his son. "Stay safe, Hiccup."

The rider smiled wryly. "I'll do my best." However, as Hoark turned around, he mouthed, "I'm sorry."

Stoick nodded, a mix of emotions in his eyes, and walked away.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I left you with an evil cliffhanger last time, but I was nice and updated quickly, see?**

 **You're all probably wondering what the map is. Well, you'll find out soon ;)**


	39. Partings and meetings

Astrid walked down the dock, watching the ships being built. Some of them were almost ready, while a few were nothing but a bunch of tables put together. And there were all kinds, too, from large, ornate war vessels to smaller, simpler fishing boats. Size and decoration didn't matter to her, however. It was the maker, the man who ran this building business.

Long ago, when she started attacking Viggo, she'd given some of her people the task of gathering all the information they could. Among that, she'd found out the person who made all his ships. At the moment, she hadn't done anything with that knowledge. If she took down this man, Viggo could always find someone else, so it didn't make a difference. She was glad for that decision, because right now, this man was key to her plan.

She went into the hut at the end of the dock, where she knew she'd find Ulfrik. The man was sitting behind a desk, looking at a parchment with the plans for a ship on it.

"Oh, did you find the..." he looked up then, and raised his eyebrows. "You're not one of my workers", he stated.

"No, I'm not", she agreed.

"How did you get in here? I have guards."

She smiled. "You need better guards."

He regarded her for a moment longer, then smiled. "Well, seeing as you had the perfect opportunity to put a sword to my neck and didn't, I'm going to assume you're not here to rob me."

"No, I'm not. In fact, I'm here to buy one of your ships."

Ulfrik frowned. "But if that's all, then why didn't you just go to one of the markets? I have stalls in many places."

"Because this request is somewhat private. Secret, if you will."

"How so?"

She gave him her most charming smile as she spoke. "I need a Dragon Hunter ship."

* * *

For the millionth time, Valka turned her head to watch their prisoner, tied up to Firestrike's belly, to make sure she was still there. Eret had reassured her that the Monstrous Nightmare didn't have the tendency to randomly flare up, and that he had done this before, but she couldn't help herself.

"Valka", Eret said teasingly, "you're going to hurt your neck if you keep that up."

"I know, I know. It's just..."

"It's an important mission and we need to keep her nice and tied at all times. I get it. Like I've already told you, I've carried people before."

 _But none of those people were crucial to my son's freedom_ , she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Astrid had recommended her not to reveal to anyone the truth of her relationship with Hiccup, just in case, and she agreed that it seemed wise.

So she'd simply have to control her anxiety and trust this man. Plus, Astrid obviously cared about Hiccup as much as she did; she wouldn't have given this mission to Eret if there was even the slightest possibility that it might go wrong.

They were flying peacefully when, suddenly, a screeching sound was heard. Valka listened hard as it got closer, and with a start realised she recognised the dragon that was making it. It was one of the Deadly Nadders that lived in her sanctuary. But then why was it here? Worry started filling her. Had something happened to that Einar boy? Why was one of her dragons here?

Before she could ponder it any further, the dragon came into view, and soon enough she saw that there was a boy riding it. Immediately she noticed that it was Einar. She was surprised at how quickly he'd gained one of her dragons' trust. The Nadder stopped next to them.

"Valka, Eret! I'm so glad I found you!" He squinted at Firestrike's belly, where Hildegard was tied. "Is that her?"

"Yes, what is it?" Valka asked impatiently. There had to be a reason for him to come here, when he was supposed to be at the island with the other dragons. Besides, he'd been flying at top speed; clearly he was in a hurry to find them, so something had happened. She tried not to think about everything that could've gone wrong.

"Just as I was getting settled in that island with all the dragons, a Terrible Terror showed up with two letters. One of them was for me. Hofferson is saying that we need to take this woman-" he gestured to her "to Meathead now. Apparently, the plan has to move forward."

"Why?" Eret asked, echoing Valka's thoughts.

"The letter didn't say. But there was another letter." He reached inside a pocket and produced it. "However, this one is addressed to _you_ , Valka. And Hofferson specifically told me _not_ to look at it."

Valka took it. While she opened it, Einar continued to speak. "Anyway, according to Hofferson's instructions, my mission is done for now, and I should bring all the dragons back to where I found them. So I'll go do that. Goodbye."

"See you later", Eret said. Valka just nodded, engrossed in the letter she'd received.

 _Valka,_

 _I hope Einar finds you soon. I don't want you to panic, but you need to know what's going on. Due to some misfortune we encountered, Hiccup was taken by the chiefs, and is being brought to Meathead for his trial._

When she read that line, despite the other woman's warning, she felt the fear rising in her mind. She remembered how Astrid had insisted that Hiccup being in Meathead was dangerous, that he could be attacked at any time.

She'd only just got her son back, and she didn't want their time together to be over so soon.

She struggled to keep her feelings at bay, or at least make them less noticeable. Eret was no doubt watching her, and if Astrid didn't want to publicise Hiccup's fate, she had to keep it that way.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she continued reading.

 _Our plan is still going, though. We just have less time. What you need to do is bring Hildegard to Meathead now, so that, once I secure her confession from Viggo, she can be brought before the chiefs immediately. And don't worry, I got what I wanted from the island and know how to get to Viggo._

 _There is one other thing I wanted to say; you've probably imagined it, but Stoick is going to be there. Now, I don't know if Hiccup has told his father that you're still alive or not, and frankly, it's not my business. However, I think that, if you didn't go back to him in twenty years, maybe you aren't willing to face him now, even if you know he's more accepting of your views. Perhaps you'd be happy if you met him again, like you were with Hiccup (or so I think), but again, it's not my business._

 _So it's your choice. If you decide not to go, just let Eret bring Hildegard and you can head back home to see how Einar treated your dragons (I know you're worried about that, even if he's an excellent caretaker). Or you can go back to our camp, if you want to get news about Hiccup faster. I've left word that you might come, so there's a tent for you and stable space for Cloudjumper. Once again, your choice._

 _I hope Eret didn't get on your nerves too much. This will all be over soon, I promise._

 _Astrid_

Valka hovered on Cloudjumper for a few seconds, thinking. Finally, Eret broke the silence.

"So? What is it?"

Valka swallowed and turned to look at him. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways, Eret."

* * *

"All right, everyone, we'll be reaching the Meathead docks in just a few minutes", Holger said. "So let's prepare our prisoner for transport."

"Is there any security waiting for us there?" one of the other chiefs wanted to know, and he nodded.

"My best guards will be there to transport him safely to the prison. Tomorrow, his trial will begin."

Stoick had to bite his tongue to keep himself from asking Holger whether that "safely" included any sort of safety for his Hiccup. It would've been a rhetorical question, of course. Stoick knew by now that the Meathead chief didn't care much for what happened to his son, and in fact, from murmuring he'd heard, most likely wanted to suggest that he be executed as punishment for his crime. He supposed that, from his point of view, it was understandable; if someone harmed Hiccup in any way, he'd want to behead those responsible, too.

But Hiccup wasn't responsible. He'd told him as much. Stoick hadn't forgotten the hurt in his son's eyes when he saw Stoick's relief. When he realised that his own father didn't believe in his innocence. He was appalled, and that was enough to convince Stoick. Hiccup may be many things, but he'd always been a terrible liar.

He hated that he trusted Hofferson so much, though. That he was entirely convinced that she'd find an answer to his problem, and apparently already had. Hiccup's faith was practically blind at this point, and once again, Stoick found himself wondering just what Hofferson had told him. After all, what benefit could she possibly gain from helping his son? She already had her own dragon. There was nothing else Hiccup could give her.

The ship reached the dock. Hiccup was brought up from his cell downstairs, hands chained behind his back. Stoick went immediately to his side. He didn't want to leave him alone, as long as it was possible. His son wasn't looking at him, though, but at the dock. He followed his gaze and found a crowd of people gathered there, shouting. There were too many to distinguish individual words, but he knew they were cursing and threatening Hiccup. He saw him take a deep breath, and put his hand on his shoulder briefly. His son turned to look at him.

"I'm here, Hiccup. I won't let them get to you", he said quietly, only for his ears.

Hiccup managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Dad."

The plank was lowered. Stoick walked on his son's right side, Holger by the other. When they saw Hiccup, the crowd went wild, and began shouting even louder. Now, he could hear the insults being thrown, the threats to gut his boy in his sleep. Hiccup's face remained impressively blank as they began walking.

It wasn't easy. The people were so tightly packed that the guards were forced to walk ahead and clear a path for them. Once, someone threw a rock that hit Hiccup right in the temple; blood instantly began to pour.

"Holger!" Stoick cried. He could see that other people seemed to have liked the idea of throwing things. "We can't keep going like this; it's too dangerous!"

"I agree", he replied, surprisingly. "Which is why we're not walking the rest of the way. Come."

They followed the other man inside what looked like a hut. As soon as they were in, the crowd's noises diminished. Stoick noticed that the "hut" didn't have anything inside it but what looked like the entrance to a tunnel.

"This is the other entrance to our prison", Holger explained as they began walking. "For cases like this."

While they travelled the length of the tunnel, Stoick wondered if he hadn't misjudged Holger's desire for revenge. However, he had shown too much contempt the whole time. This was probably a way to avoid being blamed should Hiccup die en route to the prison. Once he was there, he was free of all responsibility.

Yes, he should definitely watch Hiccup at all times.

Hiccup, who hadn't said a word. The blood was still coming from his temple; maybe once they got to their destination they'd give him something, but Stoick didn't have high hopes.

When they reached the actual prison, Holger exchanged a few words with the guards. A healer came and carelessly dabbed the prisoner's temple with something to prevent infection, then bandaged it. And then Hiccup was being brought to a cell and locked up. After that, Stoick leaned against the door. Holger raised an eyebrow at this.

"Are you staying here?"

"Yes. No offense, Holger, but I'm afraid one of your men may not want to wait until the trial."

"Can you blame them?"

Stoick struggled to keep the ice from his voice as he responded. "No. If this were Berk, it'd be the same thing. That's why I'm staying."

"Understandable. However, if you're going to do this, I must insist to post one of my own men with you, so you don't help him escape."

"Do what you must."

Holger nodded. "I'll bring you a chair", he said, voice devoid of any humour. "You'll be waiting a while."

The chiefs left then. Hiccup sat down on the cot.

"Thanks, Dad. You don't have to do this."

"I do. You know as well as I do that those guards are too eager to kill you."

Hiccup looked like he wanted to reply, but he didn't.

The guard, a gruff-looking man with an unfriendly face, came a few minutes later, bringing the promised chair. Stoick sat down and prayed for an answer to his problems. He wished he could go out himself and find the real killer, but he had to protect his son.

And despite the contempt he held for her, Stoick prayed that maybe Hiccup was right, and Hofferson was out there taking care of the situation.

* * *

An hour passed, maybe two, when another guard walked towards them.

"There's a man who's here to see you", he told Stoick. The chief was surprised.

"Me?" _Who could it possibly be?_ , he wondered.

The guard nodded. "We've run this request by Holger, and he said that he can come in, but we're bringing an extra guard, just in case."

Stoick's curiosity was satisfied not long after, when another guard came, accompanied by none other than Silent Sven. The man nodded at him and gave him a piece of parchment.

"Hey now, no secret messages", the guard protested, and Stoick glared at him.

"He doesn't talk. This is how he communicates."

"Oh." The man seemed nervous. "Very well, but I'll have to read that afterwards."

"Of course", Stoick answered, eyes on the handwriting.

 _Stoick, I happened to be here and heard what was going on. I've come to offer my help watching your son in these troubled times. I can be your relief, if need be._

The guard read it, too. "I'll have to consult Holger for this", he declared, and departed with Sven.

While they waited, another guard walked past. Just as he was in front of Stoick, a piece of parchment fell from him. Stoick was going to call after him, when he noticed what the paper said.

 _The Dragonhead tavern, room 5. Sven will watch Hiccup in the meantime._

He stepped over the note and dragged it to a corner with his foot, burying it under the dirt.

* * *

Stoick knocked on the door, nervous. He'd been reluctant to leave Hiccup, but decided to trust that Sven could look after him. Fortunately, Holger hadn't made much of a fuss over letting him replace Stoick as Hiccup's watcher. He didn't know who was waiting here, or how that guard had come by that note, and he could only hope it wasn't an enemy.

"Come in", said a distinctly female voice.

The chief walked in. The room was cosily decorated, but he didn't even notice that. Sitting on the only chair was none other than Heather, that raven-haired woman he remembered used to accompany Hofferson.

"You!" he exclaimed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here to explain a few things to you. At least what you need to know."

"What if I don't want to hear anything you or Hofferson have to say?" he asked, walking backwards towards the door. He should've known better, really. He should've imagined who could've planned something like this to get him away from Hiccup.

"Not even if it involves your son's safety?"

He stopped in his tracks. "Is that a threat? Because if so..."

"Stoick, you're a smart man. Surely by now you've noticed that Hiccup is in danger, and many of the prison guards, and Holger himself, want to behead him."

He exhaled. "I know."

"Well, it's even worse than you think."

"How so?"

"There is a man who's been opposing Astrid for a while now. He's behind all of this, and he's got enough influence to have paid a few guards to kill Hiccup if they get the chance."

Stoick paled. "Holger wouldn't-" He stopped. The Meathead chief wouldn't be terribly sorry if Hiccup ended up dead. If this girl was right, then the situation was truly dire.

"Not Holger, but everyone else? Oh, definitely."

"Who is this man?"

"I don't have time to explain everything to you. You need to be by Hiccup's side and not let him out of your sight, do you understand that? Failing to do so could mean his death. I just wanted to let you know that Astrid has a plan, and is executing it as we speak."

Stoick remembered what his son had told him on the ship. "Is this related to the person who actually committed the crime?"

"It is. I'll tell you the details later, but for now, just know that, soon enough, one of our people should come up here, with the real killer."

"Hiccup´s trial is tomorrow", Stoick said, concerned. "Whatever Hofferson is doing, can she do it quickly enough?"

"Let's hope so. Go back to your son now, Stoick. He needs you."

For once, he agreed. He turned to leave when he remembered something else. "Where's Toothless?"

"Safe. And he won't be happy if his rider dies. Go."

* * *

Astrid watched the seas intently, searching for the Dragon Hunter ship where Viggo was. Sneaking into one of their bases and threatening the first person she came across was easy enough, but the speed at which the man gave her what she wanted was amazing. Honestly, she'd never understand how Viggo, with all his planning, didn't bother to find more loyal people. Whatever. It served her purposes.

Stormfly squawked, and she patted her flank. "I know, girl", she said. "I want to finish this too. Let's make Toothless happy." Thor knew the Night Fury had been devastated when Hiccup didn't return, and even worse when everyone else that he more or less knew –herself, Heather, even Einar- left, as well. He was over at her camp; nobody but herself knew how to fly him, after all. He must be having a difficult time, thinking everyone had abandoned him. Astrid hoped to fix that soon.

Suddenly she saw the ship. "Let's go, girl." As they approached, she saw one of the net launchers being readied, but then it was set back down. Viggo must've seen who was approaching and was probably curious. She landed without incident. The men around her seemed suspicious, weapons in hand, but Viggo himself seemed relaxed. More surprised than anything.

"Hofferson", he said. "This is quite unexpected. Men, lower your weapons. Hofferson wouldn't attack me when she stills needs me for her purposes."

Although reluctantly, the other Hunters obeyed and scattered to continue with their duties. Astrid got off Stormfly and smiled.

"Hello, Viggo."

* * *

 **A/N: Dammit, this is a sorta transitional chapter. Why did it end up so long *sobs***

 **Anyway! Next chapter, we're finally finding out Astrid's plan! (By "we" I mean "you", of course ;) ) Also, in case you hadn't noticed, this is the final arc of this story, and we're in the final chapters. So the updates will hopefully keep going at this speed :D**


	40. Best laid plans

Nikolas stood at the wheel of the ship, making sure that the course was correct. Fortunately, the map that Hofferson had given him was very clear, so he wasn't afraid of having misread it. The island they were travelling to was one that precious few people knew the location of. The man living there, Erling, was a reclusive, rich man who only traded with the people he deemed worthy of his time. His criteria, as far as anyone could tell, was not only based on money, but his own personal likes and dislikes. Unfortunately for Hofferson, she seemed to fall on the latter category. Nikolas had heard, from other people, how she'd attempted to contact him in the past, only to be rejected.

However, that was about to change. Somehow, Hofferson had obtained a map detailing the whereabouts of his home. She'd tasked him with gathering some traders from a few markets and taking them on this ship. For whatever reason, it was not one of their own ships, but rather, it looked like a Dragon Hunter one. Nikolas had no idea of why that was necessary, and he didn't ask. He had his instructions, and he'd stick to them. If a Terrible Terror showed up, he'd know what to do.

"Hey, Nik", one of the traders said, "where exactly are we going? You said we were going to a new market, but you didn't specify the island. We seem to be pretty far away from civilisation."

He smiled. "Patience, my good fellow. We'll get there eventually, and you'll find fresh goods to trade for. I promised you a profitable business, and I intend to deliver on that promise."

"So you won't tell us?"

"It's a surprise. Just wait."

* * *

"Viggo?" The man chuckled. "Oh, I didn't know we were on first-name terms now."

Astrid grinned. "Well, everyone else calls you that. It stuck."

"True. Should I call you Astrid?"

She shrugged. "Call me whatever you wish. That's not what I'm here for."

"Then what, pray tell, _are_ you here for? Don't tell me you have finally come to your senses and plan to give me the Dragon Eye." He smirked.

"Now, don't be ridiculous. If I were to give you the Dragon Eye, there would be no reason for you not to kill me on the spot, so I wouldn't be so unprotected."

"Yes, that's actually quite surprising. Your lack of backup seems to suggest that you feel confident I won't hurt you. I'm curious as to why."

"Well..." She walked around the deck. This was going to be absolutely _glorious_ , and she intended to make the moment last. "Let's just say I have an offer of sorts for you."

"Do you? There is nothing as valuable to my business as the Dragon Eye, so if you wanted to trade the Haddock boy's freedom for something else, you won't get a deal, I'm afraid."

"See, that's where you're wrong." She smiled "There _is_ something that's just as important to your business as the Dragon Eye. And that is your clients."

Viggo scoffed. "What, are you going to tell me you have captured all of them and will kill them unless I comply with you? That doesn't sound like you, Hofferson. Too _unrefined_. You and I play on a higher level than that."

"Glad you know me so well, Viggo. No, that's not it at all. What I'm saying is this: if you suddenly lose all your clients because of... say, _bad reputation_ , then you most certainly won't have any business."

"Bad reputation?" Viggo smiled. "Good luck with that. I have many allies who can prove the worth of my word. It would be impossible to turn them all over."

"I don't have to turn _everyone_. I just have to turn the _right_ one, the one that everyone will believe, and poof. Your business is gone, just like that."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

Astrid smiled and remained silent for a few seconds, wanting to see his reaction. "Erling."

To his credit, Viggo managed to control his expression pretty quickly. His eyes widened for a second, and his lips parted slightly, but then he went back to his light smirk. "Now, that's quite a bold claim, Hofferson. While it is true that bad word from Erling could spell disaster for me, I don't see how _you_ could sway him. I seem to recall that he rejected you as a business partner."

Astrid felt her smile dim somewhat. That loss still bothered her. With his absolute reclusion, Erling would've made quite the ally... but he had refused her offer for a partnership. Everyone knew that the man chose his friends based on his own personal whims, and if he turned you down, there was nothing to be done.

A pity, but even so, her empire had flourished without his help. Plus, having been rejected then meant getting to do this now.

"He did", she admitted. "But, well... let's just say I found a way around that."

Now she could see that Viggo was getting nervous, and boy, did she love it. "You're bluffing. Erling never leaves his island, and only his trusted allies know where it is."

"Exactly. And I'm guessing he doesn't let people go to his home often, am I right?" She walked to the mast and leaned against it. The Hunters nearby watched her. "So, his allies may need help remembering how to get there. So he gives them a map, to ensure that the knowledge of his location isn't passed by word of mouth."

Viggo was narrowing his eyes at her, just barely. "Yes, there's a map. That's a deduction that a five-year-old could make."

"I wasn't finished." She smiled sweetly. "Anyway", she pushed off the mast and walked around. "Erling's allies know that this map is a precious possession, so they put it somewhere it'll be safe. An important place of storage. Like... Dragon's Nesting."

Viggo sighed, and then smiled. "So it is true. You did find out about that. I knew that you'd spoken with the Broker, but I wasn't sure if he'd given up the secret."

Astrid was surprised at this. "How did you know I'd spoken with the Broker?"

"One of my men saw you."

Oh. Well, that was an unlucky coincidence, but it did explain... everything that had happened. So the Broker hadn't betrayed her after all. Good to know. Too bad she'd gained his favour right before his death.

"I see. So you had no better idea than to throw a bomb and hope the map was destroyed? That seems unlike you, Viggo." She echoed his words.

"It is, but I was hard-pressed to do something. And while it didn't stop you from getting the map, it did do something else." He smirked, and she paused for a second. Then she understood.

It was _he_ who had sent the chiefs, probably by spreading a rumour or something. Hiccup being captured was his fault. It would seem that, after all, he'd got his way.

Only for a few hours, though.

"Yes, you got Hiccup captured, good for you. But I got something far more important, I think."

"Oh, are you discarding the danger that the Haddock boy's in right now? Because I assure you, there are quite a few Meatheads who would _love_ to take revenge for their chief."

"Oh, I'm aware. But Stoick the Vast will protect him for a few hours, and that's all I need."

"Another bold claim", Viggo smirked. "Let me see: you've set a ship to go to Erling and tell him something bad about me. He will never open his door to someone he doesn't know."

"What if it _looks_ like it's someone he knows? For example... if the ship looks exactly like a Dragon Hunter ship."

Viggo's eyes widened again. "However hard you try, you can't replicate a ship like this." He gestured around. "We have the latest dragon-capturing weapons. Erling knows this."

"Who said anything about replicating? I went straight to the source, Ulfrik." Now Viggo was having a harder time controlling his expression. "I got a Dragon Hunter ship. Which, mind you, I'll burn when I'm done with it." She walked until she was standing right in Viggo's face. "Do you want to know what I did?" He didn't answer, so she continued. "I filled it with traders", she said, leaning in. "And, right now, they're all going straight to Erling's island. Unless Hiccup gets his freedom, the ship of someone Erling thought he could trust will dock at his home, full of greedy strangers, and he will discover that Viggo sold his secret. Enraged, he will stop trading with him and tell everyone who does that he's a traitor. And of course, nobody will doubt Erling. Every last one of Viggo's clients will cut ties with him, leaving him with absolutely no way to continue."

Viggo's eyes were wider than she'd ever seen them, mouth forming an "O". She had him, and they both knew it.

"But you can stop it. There are two Terrible Terrors with me. If you use one of them to send that Hildegard woman instructions" – his surprised face was brilliant when she mentioned her; clearly he had no idea that his assassin had been compromised- "to let people know she's the one who murdered Erik, then I'll send the other Terror to my Hunter ship and let my man know not to go to Erling's island. If you kill me, neither of the Terrors will go anywhere. Unless you manage to retrain one of them, and I'd be _very_ impressed if you could do that before the ship arrives."

She stepped back. "Well, your choice, Viggo. Time is passing."

For a short while, the man just stared at her, pure hatred on his face, while she smiled back at him. She had thought this out with extreme care. There was no way for him to win.

Finally, he sighed. "Someone, get me a pencil and a parchment. I have a letter to write."

A few minutes later, the first of the Terrors was sent off to Meathead island. He was especially chosen; one of her fastest, sturdiest dragons. Astrid then produced the letter she'd already written from her chest.

"Very well", she smiled. "A deal's a deal, so..."

"You had already written the letter..." Viggo was disbelieving, and Astrid gave him a grin as she tied it to the second Terror's paw.

"If you're thinking that, had you killed me, you may have in fact avoided this, the answer is yes, probably."

"Then why did you even take that risk?"

"Because I knew you'd never expect it."

Viggo shook his head. "That's just adding insult to injury."

"Of course it is. Otherwise, where's the fun?"

As the little Terror flew out of sight, she approached Stormfly.

"Well, this has been very entertaining, but now I have to go."

Viggo frowned at her. "You may have won this round, Hofferson, but this isn't over."

"Oh, I know. I wouldn't expect otherwise. I'll see you again."

"You will", he promised as Stormfly raised.

Once the ship was far behind them and Astrid was certain that they weren't going to be attacked out of spite, she allowed herself to laugh in relief. Finally, after everything that had happened, Hiccup would be free.

"We did it, Stormfly", she said, laying back to rest horizontally on her back. The dragon squawked. "We did it."

* * *

Eret was doing his best not to start pacing. Not only would it do him no good, but it would betray his nerves to Hildegard, and that was the last thing he wanted. Sure, the woman was tied up securely in a corner of the room, and she had a gag on, just in case, so there was no way for her to escape. Still, he didn't want to show any weaknesses. From what he'd heard of her, this woman was a formidable assassin and would stab him in the back to escape at the first chance she got. So he had to ensure that he didn't give her that chance.

He'd kept her drugged while they were flying, and that had been a relief, especially since Valka had left him alone with the woman. If she had decided to try and disturb Firestrike's flight, there would've been nobody to help him. However, once they actually reached Meathead, he couldn't do that anymore. Even though he had landed in the shadiest part of town and gone to the most insidious inn that he could find, it would raise some eyebrows if he were to go around with an unconscious person. When they'd checked in, he'd given her just enough of the sleeping tea to make her look hungover. Once they were settled, he had to stop giving her anything at all; she needed to be lucid to make her statement, after all.

So he'd resorted to gagging her, making sure that she wouldn't try to scream for help, and resolved not to leave the inn at all. Thankfully, Heather was around, somewhere. When the Terror arrived, it would look for her, and then she'd bring it to him. Or that was the plan, at least. It'd been two hours since their arrival, and the wait was driving him insane. He was a man of action; this sitting around, having to depend on other people, was not something he was accustomed to.

At long last (although he knew, deep down, it hadn't been that long), there was a knock on his door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's me, Eret", a female voice responded. He practically ran to the door and tried not to pant as he opened it.

"Finally", he said, and Heather smiled.

"Did you miss me?" she teased. He tried not to blush; distracted as he had been with everything that had happened, there was a part of him that _had_ missed her. But he wasn't telling her that.

"Did you bring it?"

"Of course." She walked into the room and he closed the door behind her. Heather studied Hildegard, who returned her interested gaze.

"She doesn't look like much", she said at last. The other woman's eyebrows rose for a second before returning to her impassive expression. "You", she continued. "Here are Viggo's instructions for you."

Hildegard lifted her tied hands, as though asking for them to untie her, and the brunette shook her head. "No chance, darling. Here, I'll hold it for you." She took a parchment from her pouch and held it out in front of the other woman, who read it attentively. Finally, she raised her head and looked down at her gag.

"She wants me to remove it", Eret thought out loud.

"Do you trust her not to shout?" Heather asked him.

"Honestly? No", he admitted.

"Very well. You", she turned to Hildegard, "are you ready to confess, then?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"In that case, let's go find the chiefs", Eret said. "There's no time to waste. Hofferson made it clear that Haddock is in danger being in that prison."

Hildegard began making loud noises in her gag. Eret and Heather looked at each other.

"Should we?" he asked. Heather stared at the other woman, and sighed.

"I'm putting this right back where it was if you make a noise louder than a bird singing", she warned as she pulled the gag down. Hildegard coughed a bit before speaking.

"You won't achieve anything by bringing me to the chiefs now", she said.

"Why not?" Eret asked.

"Because they're riled up against the Haddock boy, have been for a long time, and are probably preparing his execution as we speak. They won't listen to any outsider claiming that he's innocent."

"And how would _you_ know that?" Heather asked.

"Because that was exactly what Viggo hired me to do", Hildegard smirked, and Eret wanted to slap her for a moment.

"What do you suggest, then?" he asked.

"It's past midnight, I think. Tomorrow at dawn is the boy's trial. It will be public, and no matter how much everyone here wants to kill him, it's necessary for Holger to maintain his reputation, so he will give him a chance to defend himself."

"And that's when we come in", Heather concluded.

"Exactly. He'll have no choice but to listen to me then. If you go now, however, you'll be ignored."

Eret looked at her suspiciously. "How come you're suddenly so cooperative with this? You're the one who put Haddock in this mess, after all."

Hildegard smirked. "I get paid to follow orders. I only did what Viggo told me to. Now he wants me to give myself up and prevent an execution, so I'll do my best to achieve just that."

Heather sighed. "I hate to admit it, but it makes sense."

Eret didn't like waiting, either, but there was no other way. "Fine, then. Tomorrow at dawn we'll be there, at the front of the crowd."

* * *

 **A/N: So? Did you guys like it? It took me forever to come up with this plan, seriously. I think it was one of the hardest parts of the plot for me to invent. But anyway, here we are, very close to the ending of this fic now :D I'm so excited for this! Are you?**

 **Also, just for clarification, Nikolas did get Astrid's terror and go somewhere else. I didn't put it in there because it wasn't that important.**


	41. Trial

**A/N: Merry Christmas to everybody! Have a present from me ;)**

* * *

Hiccup barely slept that night. For one thing, the cot in his cell wasn't exactly made for comfort. For another, while his father was keeping watch in silence, and the other guard was clearly sleepy, every now and then a bunch of people would walk by and startle him. And finally, he couldn't stop brooding over what could happen to him tomorrow in the trial. There was still no sign of Astrid or anyone from her organisation, and he had no delusions as to what would happen to him if Hildegard didn't appear.

He would be executed, he had no doubt.

Ever since he'd found Toothless, he'd been in some incredibly dangerous situations, from facing the Red Death to human threats like Dagur. He'd been close to losing his life many, many times, but each one he'd escaped. However, in those occasions, he'd found himself in those situations because he was trying to help someone. It had never before occurred to him that he might go out like this, as a traitor. It bothered him, not so much for himself, but for his father's sake. Stoick would never accept it, and would be ostracised as a result.

And then, of course, there was Toothless. Hiccup had no idea of where the Night Fury was right now, probably Astrid's camp. (Or so he hoped; he'd be treated well there.) If he died, what would happen to him? Toothless would be absolutely heartbroken.

Thinking about Astrid didn't really help matters, either, because the last time he saw her... but no, he refused to believe that she was dead. She couldn't be. She had promised to help him, and she would. He knew she would. She always kept her word.

With all these thoughts running through his head, it was hard to fall asleep, and when he did, his dreams were not pleasant. Several times, he woke up, panting, before realising that he was still alive.

At last, the Meathead guard that had been with them left, and two more came.

"It's time", one of them said. He opened the cell and tied Hiccup's hands behind his back.

As they escorted him out, Sven, who had shown up the night before, came and walked with them. He'd taken Stoick's place for a while, watching Hiccup while his father went out somewhere. He wished he knew where he'd been, but with a Meathead guard nearby, he couldn't ask him.

Thankfully, there was a tunnel that led directly from the prison to the Great Hall; he didn't think he could take the villagers' screams and insults again. They stopped before a door, where more guards were standing. Among them was Holger, who gave him a look of pure hatred. As much as he disliked it, he had to remind himself that this man thought he'd killed his son; his attitude made all the sense in the world.

Stoick placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Hiccup managed a ghost of a smile at him, to let him know he appreciated the comfort.

"Well", Holger said, "the village is waiting. Let's go."

Just like last time, when Hiccup was brought forward towards the centre of the Hall, there was a lot of shouting and cursing from the village, although this time there were no objects being thrown. The chiefs from other islands were already there, sitting on a table. Holger sat in the middle and Stoick near the end, while Hiccup was left to stand before them, a guard on each side.

"Silence!" Holger boomed at the crowd, who finally quieted down. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third", he began, "you have been accused of murdering Erik Thorodsson, son of Holger Thorodsson, heir of the Meathead tribe. How do you declare yourself?"

"Innocent", he replied instantly. Even if Astrid hadn't managed to solve the situation, there was no reason for him to admit to something he hadn't done. He wondered if Astrid was somewhere in the crowd, but he was facing away from them and couldn't look.

He also wondered if Stoick had met with her yesterday, when he'd slipped away. It would make sense, but there was no way to know for certain. His father's expression when he came back had been perfectly neutral, betraying nothing about whether he'd received good or bad news.

Holger laughed. "Innocent, you say? Very well, since this is a fair trial, we will give you a chance to prove this. But first, let's bring in the witnesses, shall we?"

The first ones called were the other heirs, who reported never having seen him again after the first night, and how he had seemed to be avoiding them. The implication made Hiccup's blood boil; it was clear to him that Holger was twisting facts to fit into his theory, and everyone else was happy to go along with it. He could see that Stoick was as angry as himself, although the only comment he made was that their accounts didn't prove anything. He was largely ignored.

Then Holger called Camicazi, and a blonde girl stepped up. She was most definitely not the one he'd met when he'd first arrived here. She gave him a cold look before giving her statement, which was the same as the previous ones. However, Holger asked something else this time.

"According to Stoick, Hiccup claimed to have been meeting with you. Yet you said that this was not true."

"It wasn't. I was busy looking after Alfhild, a member of my tribe who was sick. I didn't see him any more than any of the other heirs."

Hiccup could hear the people murmuring at his back. They probably thought he was trying to lay the blame on someone else. As if he didn't have enough accusations against him already.

"And do you have any idea of why Hiccup Haddock would make such a claim?"

"None whatsoever. I didn't know him or his schemes."

Holger didn't even try to hide his pleased smile. "Very well."

The last one to be called, as though they'd been saving the worst for last, was Ake, the one who had seen him right after Hildegard left. He explained how he had walked in the hut to find Hiccup with the bloody knife, and Erik's body, and how Hiccup had run away from him.

"Any questions?" Holger asked the other chiefs, once the boy was done talking. They all shook their heads... except for Stoick.

"Yes, I do. Ake, did you actually see Hiccup stab him?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably. "Well, no. But considering what I saw, who else could've done it?"

Holger nodded. "It would be highly improbable for someone else to have done it, so-"

"Highly improbable", someone from the crowd interrupted. "But not impossible."

At that, everyone, including Hiccup, turned their heads to see who was speaking. Hiccup felt a wave of relief wash over him when he saw Hildegard standing there, flanked by Eret and Heather, who seemed to be holding her.

"I'm sorry", Holger said, "but who are you?"

Hildegard shrugged. "I'm the one who did it."

The Great Hall immediately burst into chaos. Everyone began shouting again; a few of the people tried to get to her, but Eret and Heather prevented them from reaching her. Eventually, the guards were able to get everyone to be quiet again.

"Are you being serious right now?" Holger asked her.

"Very much", she answered. "When it's the boy's turn to defend himself, I'll step forward and answer anything you'd like to know."

Holger considered this. "Well, Ake was our last witness, actually, so please, miss..."

"My name is of no importance", she said. "All that truly matters to you is my testimony."

"Right. Come here now."

So she did. She didn't mention Viggo at all; only explained how she'd tricked Hiccup into thinking he'd met Camicazi, and how she'd lured him away from the others, ending in Erik's murder. When she got to that part, Hiccup could see Holger's anger plain on his face. He looked about to burst, especially when Hildegard described in exact detail what Erik's wounds had been without showing the slightest emotion about it.

When she was done talking, it was silent for several seconds. Most people were stunned, while Holger looked like he was trying to rein his emotions in to speak. At last he turned to Hiccup.

"And what is your version?"

Hiccup explained his side of things, corroborating what the woman had said. Afterwards, it was again quiet for a while, until Holger turned to Hildegard.

"Why?" he asked. She just shrugged.

"I had my motives. If it's any consolation, it was nothing personal."

Holger visibly struggled. "Take them back to the prison", he said at last to the guards. "We need to talk about this."

As they were taken away, Hiccup was able to briefly catch Heather's eye and send her a relieved smile, which she returned with a wink. It made him think that Astrid was fine; Heather wouldn't be so relaxed otherwise.

He noticed that the guards who were holding Hildegard were doing so with a disgusted expression. They were put in separate cells to wait. The woman didn't talk, for which Hiccup was glad. He had no idea of what she might say, but he was sure it would be taunting, and he wasn't in the mood for that. He was desperately hoping that things would turn out in his favour. They had to: Hildegard had confessed to the murder. It seemed that, after all, Astrid had been able to get Viggo to concede to her. Later, he'd have to ask her how she'd done it.

Luckily, they only had to wait a few minutes before some guards showed up.

"You're-"

"-free to go!" Stoick's voice interrupted the man as he came to the cell, beaming. "Hildegard was found guilty, and you've been freed of all charges."

For a moment, Hiccup found himself unable to react in any way. That was what he'd been hoping for, and he knew he should be celebrating. Yet it had been so long since he'd begun running away, it was hard for him to comprehend that he was finally free. It felt like it still wasn't real, like he was only dreaming this.

The guards opened his door and his father practically dragged him out, excitedly chattering about how the other chiefs had been forced to accept his innocence.

When the topic changed to Hildegard, however, Stoick turned serious.

"Who is that woman, and why did she accuse you?"

"Later, Dad", he answered, staring meaningfully at the guards. His father nodded, understanding.

Once they were out, they headed towards the forest, where they found Skullcrusher.

"Where is Toothless?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup was going to answer, when a warbling noise could be heard. A _very_ familiar warbling.

"Toothless...?" he asked. A shadow was visible for a second, and then his Night Fury was rushing towards him. Hiccup laughed as he practically ran him over, and hugged him.

"Hey, bud. I'm fine." He looked at the dragon. "Sorry to have worried you like that."

"Yeah", a voice was heard. Hiccup turned to find Heather coming towards them, smiling. "You've definitely worried him. Should've seen him after the explosion. I had to stop him from running into the fire to look for you."

Toothless warbled, and Hiccup hugged him again. "I know, bud. I'd do the same."

Stoick cleared his throat. "Well", he said to Heather, "I suppose you were correct after all."

She grinned. "Astrid doesn't break her promises, chief Haddock. I told you she was dealing with it."

Hiccup wanted to ask where Astrid was. He'd like to thank her for everything. But he couldn't do so with Stoick there. Oh well, he figured, he could ask through Terror mail later.

"Yes, well, I suppose... tell her I'm grateful for what she did for my son, but it doesn't get her off the hook in any way."

Hiccup had to refrain from shaking his head; his dad would never change.

"I will." She looked at Hiccup. "I have to get going now, catch up with Eret and tell everyone the good news. See you around."

Stoick was certainly not amused at the implication.

While they flew, Hiccup explained everything that had happened to his father: Astrid's war with Viggo, the Dragon Eye, and most of what they'd faced together in the past few months. However, the one thing he never mentioned was that Valka was the one to find Hildegard. He didn't know what drove him to stay quiet. Maybe it was the fact that she'd stayed on her island for twenty years and hadn't attempted to reach out, not once. Maybe it was that she hadn't asked after Stoick since he'd met her. Maybe it was that he simply didn't know how to say it.

But he kept quiet. He reasoned that, next time he was able to go out exploring, he could find her and ask her to come to Berk. Or at least, send a letter for Stoick.

All the while, a sense of giddiness had been growing inside him. He couldn't believe it, but they'd done it. He was free. It was strange to think that he didn't have to be hiding anymore, and yet that was the case now.

When they landed on Berk, Hiccup felt a happiness that he hadn't really felt in months. A feeling that was clearly related to his home, and the people living there. As the villagers caught sight of them and came to them, Stoick bellowed to everyone the good news. The other dragon riders were among the first to show up. Snotlout complained that he was back, while the twins asked about the trouble that he'd got himself in, and Fishlegs just said that he was glad to see him. Hiccup smiled; he hadn't realised how much he'd missed his friends, and Berk.

However, the feeling was not necessarily mutual, or at least not for everyone. Although his friends were happy to see him, many of the other villagers looked at him with mistrust, even after hearing that he'd been cleared of all charges.

And that was when it hit him _again_ , what they had seen. He'd threatened his father. No trial could erase the fact that _that_ had happened. At that moment, he hadn't had time to wonder how it had affected the rest of Berk; he'd only cared about what Stoick thought.

Now, he could see that it had changed their opinions of him. He couldn't blame them, of course; he himself couldn't believe he'd done that. It seemed like the consequences of his situation were more far-reaching than he'd previously thought.

All through that day, he felt like he was seeing things through some sort of warped glass, where everything was the same and yet not quite the same. The people, the places, hadn't changed; what was different was the way in which they treated him. With fear, in some cases; in others, with derision and even aggression, like they were ready to take him down then and there. The elders seemed particularly displeased.

At night, he sat on Toothless' slab, leaning against him, trying not to feel discouraged. This, coming home, was what he'd been looking forward to for _months_ , but it wasn't the same anymore. With the people being so cold towards him, it didn't feel as heartwarming as before. Berk had always been his home. If he didn't have Berk, what was left for him?

He found that he couldn't sleep, again, so after a few minutes, he got up and quietly left for the cove.

However, when they got there, he realised there was already a dragon there. A Deadly Nadder, as he saw once they were closer.

Toothless warbled, and Stormfly squawked, and the two dragons ran to greet each other, while Hiccup stood rooted to the spot, looking at Astrid. She hadn't moved, either, and smiled at him. He remembered how the last time he'd seen her, she'd been lying still, unresponsive. Then, he hadn't even had time to be afraid of her being dead; other things had distracted him.

Senseless as it was, that fear, and the corresponding relief, was hitting him _now_ , all at once.

Before he really knew what he was doing, he was crossing the short distance between them in long, quick strides. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, feeling her heart beating against his.

She was alive.

She was with him.

And she'd kept her promise.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's the end of that plot point. Next chapter is the last... and it's one I've been looking forward to writing. That's all I'll say ;)**


	42. Close

**A/N: Get ready for a much longer than usual chapter... 5000 words, my friends. I considered splitting it, but decided that a long chapter is a nice parting gift, so enjoy!**

* * *

For a moment, it seemed that Astrid was too stunned by Hiccup's actions to react. She quickly recovered, though, wrapping her own arms around him.

"Hey", she murmured.

"Hey", was all he answered. He didn't want to interrupt the moment with words. Even though there were so many things that he wanted to ask.

She must've understood, because she didn't speak any more, either; only rubbed one of her hands up and down his spine.

They stood like that for a minute, until Hiccup began to feel awkward in the silence.

"I'm glad you're okay", he said at last. It was a true sentiment.

He felt more than heard her chuckle. "Me too", she replied.

"You're glad you're okay? I should hope so", he teased. At that, she pulled back, and Hiccup let his hands drop to her waist. He didn't want to let go just yet.

"You know what I mean", she grinned. "I couldn't be completely sure that Hildegard wouldn't decide to randomly break her contract and run for it."

"Well, she didn't."

"Thankfully, no." She scrutinised his face, and he knew his emotions must be all over it. "You're not okay on the inside, though", she stated.

He sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to someone who knows you well. So? What is it?"

He struggled to put his thoughts in order, so he could tell her. "It's just... the way everyone looks at me. It was one thing with people who didn't know me. But... this is my home. I can't stand the idea of those who I grew up with, looking at me like they... Like I..."

"Like they don't know who you are anymore", she finished for him. He stared at her.

"Yeah." Once more, she understood him even when he didn't understand himself. She always did, ever since this whole thing had started. It was amazing how much they seemed to have in common these days.

Or had it always been that way, and he'd never realised it before?

"But why? The charges were dropped. You were declared innocent."

"Because of what I did when I was here. Remember?"

"Oh." Her face fell. "Right."

"Yeah. And there's no denying that I did _that_ , no matter how much I regret it."

"But you weren't yourself. You were stressed, and tired-"

"I don't think they care about that, Astrid. All Vikings are stubborn, and Berkians are among the worst. They saw me pointing a sword at my father, and... well, to be honest, I think there is something else at work. Or rather, someone." This was a suspicion that had begun sneaking on him, and seemed to make perfect sense.

She raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The elders from the council. Specifically, those who aren't big fans of me, or my ideas, or my... fondness of dragons." It couldn't be a coincidence, the way they had seemed to sneer at him. Like they'd won, and they were proud of it.

Her expression turned sour. "You think they spread panic, and turned the people against you."

"I'm pretty sure. I gave them the perfect opportunity; they didn't even have to lie. All they had to do was exaggerate events and..."

"And everyone would be afraid of you", she finished. "And when the time comes for you to take your father's place..."

"...Berk may not like that idea much. And a chief without his people's support is not a chief."

"So they would gain control, and I'm assuming they'd have the power to propose a new chief. One that fits their interests better."

"Pretty much."

Astrid sighed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She couldn't mean for this whole situation, right? They'd already talked about this; he didn't blame her for wanting to protect the dragons.

"For not trying to do something when _that_ happened. If I'd known that there were power-hungry people here, working against you, I would've..."

"Would've what? No offence, but people here don't like you very much, Astrid. Any attempt to help me might've made matters worse." He sighed. "Besides, talking about what we could've done is pointless now."

"I guess so." She raised her head. "So... what now?"

"I don't know." He smiled wryly. "To be honest, I was hoping _you_ could tell me."

"Tell you what? You've seen the way people look at me, Hiccup. I wish I could tell you it gets better, but it doesn't. Not for me, at least. For you... well, these people know you. Perhaps you have a chance to show them that they're wrong about you. I mean, you've done it in the past."

"They know me, but they treat me like they didn't."

"They know you, but they don't understand. They can't."

" _You_ understand me." It was the truth. He could see it clearly now. She'd never stared at him judgementally, the way other people did.

"Because I've been exactly where you are. Most people haven't."

"I know, but..." He hesitated to continue; what he was going to say was deeply personal. However, at this stage, what was the point in trying to keep anything from her? "In a way... I don't know... it felt like you understood me before you even knew me that well."

She smiled softly. "That's because I have more experience with people, and understanding their motivations, than most. And your case is more common than you'd think." She brushed her fingertips over his cheek. "You're not a bad guy, Hiccup. You're just a decent guy who was forced down a bad path. You can't walk back, but you _can_ choose to get out of that path."

She made to remove her hand, but he covered it with his own, pressing both against his cheek. There was something incredibly comforting about the gesture, he didn't quite know what. Perhaps it was that, like the time she'd kissed his forehead, it was something nobody had ever done for him. Perhaps it was simply something he associated with her. But then did that mean he associated her to comfort?

He looked into her eyes, which were now staring at him. Questioningly, but warmly.

Yes, that was definitely a concept he associated with her, warmth. The warmth in her eyes, and the warmth of her hand against his cheek. She'd always been like that with him. Even when they first met, and he didn't trust her, she'd never lost her patient, kind demeanour with him.

And now that he thought about it, she was the same way with her employees, even if it was to a lesser degree. The only people she acted ruthless towards were her enemies.

Much like everybody else did.

So what did that mean?

"Hiccup?" Astrid broke him out of his reverie. "Are you all right? You zoned out."

"I..." What was he supposed to tell her? "I was just thinking."

Although 'thinking' might not be the most appropriate term. 'Having an epiphany' was probably more accurate.

This whole time, ever since he'd first met Astrid, there was a part of him that clung to the idea that she was a criminal, a bad person. That he should always be on his guard, because he never knew when she might decide to turn on him. That she'd killed plenty of people and he could be next if he wasn't careful.

Now he could see that wasn't the case. Astrid was just a normal person, who fate had pushed into a life of crime. She had been raised with a very particular morality and considered that mindset to be normal. She still had a defined sense of right and wrong.

In the past, he'd thought she was a bad person because she knowingly veered into the territory of 'wrong'. However, having walked a mile or two in her shoes, he understood better now. Sometimes, under certain circumstances, you could be pushed to limits that you never expected you could reach. It had happened to him. And, from what he could gather, her whole childhood had been like that. A constant fight for survival, and he suspected that, after her father died and she had to go to Alvin, it had got worse. She'd had no one, and had to get by on her own. That, plus the fact that she'd almost been raped, had probably had an effect on the way she acted.

She was violent, because that was how she survived, by being more dangerous than those who threatened her. Because, in the beginning, if she didn't kill her enemies, they would most certainly kill her. And after years of living like that, she didn't know any other kind of life. Peace was not an option for her.

After all, he'd had to drop a man to his death in order to survive. If Astrid's teenage years had been filled with those situations, as he suspected they had, it was no wonder she had turned out like she had. In fact, he was surprised that, despite everything, she still retained a certain sense of justice, when he doubted many of the people surrounding her respected that. It was almost a miracle that she was capable of caring for people, be it those who were close to her, or strangers like that child she'd saved from being raped. Then again, those actions were probably in honour of her father, who had given her love. Something that he doubted she received much.

She wasn't evil. She wasn't like Drago or Dagur or Viggo.

"Okay", Astrid's voice broke through his thoughts again, "you're starting to scare me."

"Sorry, I was... having an epiphany." He noticed she hadn't removed her hand from his. Her warmth felt great.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows. "About what?"

"You", he answered sincerely. She clearly wasn't expecting that. "And... me. And how... we're not so different, I guess."

"What do you mean?" She frowned. "We're very different. You, like I already said, are a good person, and I-"

"-are a good person too", he interrupted her. "I know you're the first one to think differently, but you are."

"Right. Because a good person would do the things that I have."

"Yes. A good person would save a child from being raped. A good person would help stop a maniac from taking control over the entire archipelago."

"You know what I mean."

"I do. And I stand by what I said." He smiled as he thought of a way to explain it. "It's like you just said to me. You're not a bad person, you're a good person who was pushed into a bad path. In your case, that path was pretty much your whole life. I'm not saying your father turned you into a criminal", he added when he saw that she was going to protest, "but the fact that he was an assassin did mean that you didn't have a normal life, so when he died, you were left with almost nothing."

"It sounds like you're blaming him", she said, tensely, and tried to drop her hand from his face. He let her, but without letting go of her hand. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. This was a sensitive topic for her, as he was well aware of.

"Look, I'm not saying it's his fault for raising you the way he did. From the way you talk about him, it sounds like he did his best with what he had. He could've just as easily left you to grow up as an orphan, and Thor knows what would've happened to you then. But he didn't, and here you are. And his influence is on you. Both the positive and the negative."

Astrid was regarding him thoughtfully. She made no comment, so he continued. "Anyway, because of the way you grew up, you went on a bad path without ever having a choice. And now you stay on that path because you have no idea of what's in the other one. And we always fear the unknown." This time, he was the one to put his hand to her cheek. (The free one. His other hand was still holding hers.) "But you could change. You could try seeing what's on the other side. Maybe you'll like it."

Her eyes were wide, and he wasn't sure if she was reacting to his words, his actions, or both.

"Let me show you", he whispered. For a moment he wondered why, and then he realised that, at some point, he'd stepped closer to her. There was less distance between their faces now.

"I can't", Astrid whispered back. "I can't."

"Why not?" He was leaning, he noticed, but he couldn't stop himself. It was as though he subconsciously wanted to see if he could read in her eyes. Or maybe he just wanted to be even closer.

"Because... because I've already done so much, Hiccup. There's so much blood in my hands. How could I ever try and pretend to be like you, knowing that?"

"You don't have to pretend. It's already in you; all you have to do is let it out of you."

"But-" This time it was her who stepped closer. With his hand still on her face, the space between them seemed even smaller. "-how can I live with myself? If I accept everything I've done?"

It took him a second to answer; he was overwhelmed with the warmth coming from her right now, from her body so close to his. He wanted _more_. He was losing focus in the conversation. "By recognising it was wrong, and realising you're enough of a good person to stop."

"I'm not so sure I can."

"You can", he answered, even as he pressed his forehead against hers, unthinkingly. When he realised what he'd done in his attempt to get even closer, he looked at her eyes, the only part of her face he could really see right now.

They were as wide as he'd ever seen them, but unlike other occasions, the dark of her pupils was overtaking the blue.

He may have very little experience with women, but he knew what _that_ meant.

He began to inch forward, and her breath hitched.

"Hiccup…" she said in a pleading tone.

She didn't continue, so he took that as a signal. Using the hand that was still on her face, he tilted her head upwards. And as he closed the gap between them, and his lips touched hers, he felt the warmth rushing into him like a tide.

* * *

Too close.

He was standing too close.

She knew it from the start, when he literally ran into her and didn't let go, not for one moment.

And she shouldn't have encouraged it. She was well aware of it. But when he looked so dejected, what was she supposed to do? She couldn't push him away. So she gave in, just a little. She let herself get even closer. She told herself she could pull away later.

She was lying to herself, of course. There was no way she'd be able to pull away. Not when he seemed so desperate to be near her. Not when _she_ was desperate to be near him, too. For months now, she'd spent most of her time either being with him, or thinking about him. Her self-control had been seriously damaged. She could stay away at a distance, but the way they were right now…

Impossible.

So she held on. She let him get even closer.

And when he pressed his forehead against hers, she knew there was no turning back.

He looked at her, and she didn't have the power to tell him to back away. If she could only say it, he would. But she couldn't. And she knew that her body language was telling him just how much she wanted it. There was no reason for him not to do it.

As he leaned in and his breath began to mingle with hers, she found her voice, just barely. "Hiccup…" She was pleading for him to stop, but the words died in her throat.

And then his mouth was on hers, and there were no thoughts to be had anymore. Only Hiccup. Only that she needed to get as close as possible. Her hands clasped behind his neck, practically of their own volition, crushing herself against him. In response, his free arm snaked around her waist.

Now there was no space whatsoever between them. Not between their bodies, and certainly not between their lips. His own were moving slowly, deliberately. It wasn't like he was acting with uncertainty because he was inexperienced; it was more like he was simply taking his time. And while she would've preferred a little more intensity, she adjusted to it. Far be it from her to complain.

Still, given how tightly he was holding her, it felt like he was restraining himself. She wondered about it for a second, and then realised why he was doing it.

This was his first _real_ kiss. When she'd kissed him in Drago's ship, that had been pretend, no matter how much she'd enjoyed it. The other two kisses he'd had, with Hildegard and that woman he was trying to seduce, had also been fake, and from what he'd told her, a little aggressive. So now he wanted to do the complete opposite.

It gave her a sort of thrill, getting to be his first kiss twice. And if he wanted to take the time to truly enjoy it, then she would let him.

Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe. However, only their faces separated; he didn't let go of her waist, and she didn't remove her hands either. They were both panting, and she could see Hiccup's face was flushed. She imagined her own was, too.

She expected him to say something, but he didn't. He looked like he wanted to, but didn't quite know _what_. He recovered his breath, and his mouth was open as he tried to find words.

She kissed him again. Because at this point, what difference did it make? He made a muffled noise of surprise, but immediately kissed her back. This time, he put more force behind it, and she responded in kind. The hand that was still on her face joined his other arm around her waist, and he pressed her even closer to him. She resisted the urge to run her hands through his hair, like she wanted to; it would be too much.

By the time they broke apart again, Astrid was starting to feel dizzy, and she wasn't sure if it was the lack of air or if it was just Hiccup. She looked at his eyes, and noticed that the sadness in them had mostly vanished.

"You should go to sleep", she whispered, brushing some of his hair back. "Everything will be clearer in the morning." She hated to bring the topic back up, but it was necessary. Fortunately, his eyes only dimmed a little.

"Okay." He seemed reluctant to let go, even as he did. He looked around. Then back at her. She guessed the question before he asked it.

"Yes, we can sleep here. If it makes you feel better."

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I just... don't want to be alone tonight."

She nodded, then grinned. "Don't let Toothless hear that. He'll be offended you don't appreciate his company." She felt it necessary to lift the mood, just a bit.

He laughed for a second. "You know what I mean."

"But _he_ doesn't."

"True." He fidgeted. It seemed like he didn't know how to act. "So, do you have some furs, or..."

"I do." She called Stormfly over, and retrieved the furs from her. She handed Hiccup a few, and then began spreading her own. Hiccup did the same, fairly close to her, and also pretty slowly. She understood he was giving her a chance to tell him to get further away, if she wanted to.

Why he thought she would want to push him away _now_ , she had no idea.

"Hiccup, it's okay. We can sleep next to each other."

A nervous, but relieved, smile appeared on his face. "Thanks."

The dragons saw them preparing to go to sleep and did the same. Toothless set a part of the floor on fire before lying on it, and Stormfly curled up beside him.

Hiccup and Astrid settled in. They were close enough that, if he wanted to, he could reach out and grab her hand, and she suspected that was his purpose. Well, she thought, if it comforted him, it was fine.

"Good night, Hiccup."

"Good night, Astrid."

* * *

When Astrid woke up, the first thing she saw was Hiccup's face. He seemed at ease, in a way he hadn't been last night. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, if the way he had tossed and turned was any indication.

He was pretty close to her, but it could not be said that they'd slept together.

She wondered how he'd feel when he woke up. If he'd try to get through a day in Berk, and heed her advice about convincing the people. And more importantly, how he'd feel about what they'd done last night. Would he want to do it again? He had clearly liked it, but... he'd been feeling lonely and vulnerable then. He wanted companionship, to feel that someone cared for him, and she'd been more than happy to give it to him. It was a kiss that came more out of desperation than any real feelings, she thought. Sure, he probably liked her well enough, but not in _that_ way.

With that in mind, what should _she_ do? Act like last night hadn't happened? Cherish the memory, knowing it wouldn't happen again, and carry on like normal?

If she wanted their relationship to survive, that seemed like the best course of action. She had let herself go last night, but she couldn't do that again. She needed to collect herself.

By the time Hiccup finally woke up, she had already set up a fire (with Stormfly's help) and was cooking some breakfast. Toothless greeted his rider with a lick to the face, then went to play with Stormfly.

"Hey", she said when she saw he was awake.

"Hey", he replied, walking towards her.

They ate in silence. Hiccup seemed nervous; it was obvious he didn't know how to act around her after last night. If he was so uncomfortable, well then, she wouldn't bring up the topic.

"Feeling better?" she said at last.

He swallowed before replying. "Actually… I couldn't sleep, so I was thinking about my situation."

"And?"

"And… I think I have to leave. For a while at least."

Of all the things she expected him to say, _that_ was not one of them. "What? No, you can't leave. This is your home, Hiccup."

"That's the problem, Astrid. I used to think so, but now, after how everyone acted towards me, I realise… home isn't only a place. It's also the people you know. And without them, it just isn't the same."

"But..." The idea was still preposterous to Astrid. "I know you said everyone was giving you the cold shoulder, but don't you think leaving is a bit too much?"

"I didn't say leave _forever_. I just... I need some time to think. And to be someplace where I won't be judged every waking moment."

"Haven't you thought that maybe, after a while, you can convince people here to listen to _your_ side of the story? Maybe if they knew what you were going through when you...threatened your father, they would be more understanding."

Hiccup snorted. "I know you don't know Berk as well as I do, but Vikings understanding feelings? Do you really think that could work out?"

That much was true, but she didn't want him to give up hope just like that. "Maybe, with time."

He sighed. "Astrid, I see what you're trying to do. You think I'm making a rash decision because I'm uncomfortable, and that if I go through with it I'll regret it. You really don't know if things will get better, no more than I do. But if I leave... maybe my dad will be able to convince some people that I'm not... dangerous. Once they stop feeling threatened by me, they may be more inclined to believe it."

"And what of him? What of your friends?" She was starting to run out of arguments. "Won't you miss them?"

"Of course I will. But I've already gone months without seeing them. One more month won't make that big of a difference."

"So that's how long you think you'll be gone?"

"Maybe. I don't really know."

She sighed. She didn't like this idea, but she could see that Hiccup was convinced, and he was as stubborn as they came. Trying to persuade him not to do this would be pointless. "And where will you go?"

"Well..." He looked at her shyly. "I was thinking that, if it's all right with you, I could go to your camp."

For a moment, she just stared at him. She had done everything in her power to make sure he felt comfortable while he was staying with her, and she knew that he'd been treated well... but wanting to go back there? Knowing what was really going on, even if he chose to ignore it?

"Are you sure? Don't you think it'll remind you of all the trouble you just went through?"

He shrugged. "It's better than going to a town where I don't know anybody, or living in the wilderness with nobody but Toothless. At least no one will judge me there."

"And what about _you_ judging others? You know what I do, Hiccup. Last time you were there, you were a fugitive too. But you're not anymore. You may now feel like you're... on higher moral grounds than my people."

"I may no longer be a fugitive, but I'm still not the same person I was when I first stayed there, am I? I've learned a lot. About people and what drives them to do certain things."

This was much like what he'd said last night. She hadn't been sure if he really thought that, or if it was another consequence of his negative mood.

"Look", he continued, "if you don't want me there-"

"No, that's not it", she interrupted him immediately. If he wanted to stay with her, then she could keep an eye on him herself, and she'd get to spend more time with him. "I just don't want you... giving a speech to one of my employees about being a good person and whatnot."

"I never did that, did I?" He smiled, and she couldn't help smiling back.

"No, but I wanted to check. Still... if you just stay there, don't you think you'll get... bored?"

"Well... I was thinking that maybe we could do something about Viggo."

"Something?"

"Yeah, to drive him out of business definitely. Because I assume that's what you threatened him with, right?"

"Sort of, yes. And what do you want to do? Because the only way to put an end to a threat like Viggo Grimborn is to kill him."

"Can't we-"

"No. Viggo is not Dagur. If we put him in a prison, even the Iron Fortress, he'll find a way to escape. And if we take down his business entirely, he'll try to start again somehow. Killing him is the only way to end him for sure."

For a few seconds, it was quiet, as Hiccup stared at her. She could practically see the cogs in his head turning as he tried to come up with a way to stop Viggo that didn't involve his death. He was smart, however, and soon realised that it wasn't possible.

"Very well", he said with the gravity of someone who makes a hard decision. "We'll kill him. For the good of the dragons all over the archipelago. One bad man's life isn't worth dozens of innocent ones."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. It was clear to Astrid that, even if he said he didn't judge people for their wrongdoings anymore, it was still hard for him to do something like that himself.

And it was better that way, she thought. At least he retained _some_ of the way his personality had been before everything had happened.

"All right", she said. "So, did you want to leave now, or...?"

"I think I'd like to leave a letter for my father."

"A letter? Why not go talk to him yourself?"

He sighed. "Because he'll just make this more complicated. Plus, like I said, I'm not leaving forever. Just until... we take Viggo down. Maybe by then I'll have figured things out."

"Very well, then. Do you have something to write?"

"Uh, no. I was going to-"

"Here." She called for Stormfly, who was still playing with Toothless, and took some parchment and a pencil from her saddle.

"Thanks."

A few minutes later, it was done.

"Wait here, I'll go leave it in my room."

"And what if Stoick sees you?"

"I'll try not to make any noise."

Astrid smiled. "I have a better idea." She whistled, and from behind a bush came Sneaky, who she'd brought along just in case. He had probably been sleeping before she called him.

"Good idea." He handed the letter to the dragon, who left and was back in a matter of minutes.

Astrid mounted Stormfly. "Shall we, then?"

Hiccup got on Toothless, too, and they took off. As they gained altitude, she could see him staring at the island that was his home, and she heard him mutter a promise that he'd be back.

She really hoped that would be the case. But in the meantime, there were more adventures to be had.

And a madman to defeat.

* * *

 **A/N: Aaand that's a wrap! Yes, I realise this leaves a lot of unanswered questions: what happened to Hildegard? And Viggo? What about Valka?**

 **Well, as you've probably figured out by now, there's going to be a third part to this universe, where I will finish all the storylines. However, it will be different from Burning and Phoenix, in that it'll be much less plot-driven and focus instead on the development of Hiccup and Astrid's relationship. Because let's be honest here, they've only kissed for the first time and they still have a lot more to go through to get over their differences...**

 **So it'll feature time skips and whatnot, it'll be much shorter, and will only have plot at the beginning, as they work to take down Viggo and create a lasting relationship. And as for the name, I'm still between "Soaring" and "Learning to Fly", but either way, when it's up I'll put up an announcement here, like I did with Burning.**

 **Finally, regarding how long it'll take me to get it up... well, I'm on holiday right now, but I've been working on this fic nonstop for a year and would like to take a break, you know? Don't worry, it won't be a five-month break, haha. My goal is to finish this third fic before the second semester starts next year (beginning of August). Also, even if it doesn't have much of a plot, I still need to come up with a basic outline. And doing that for this fic was a nightmare, haha.**

 **So anyway, happy new year and I'll see you all in 2018 for the final installment of this series!**


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